The Republic of Ireland WNT squad for the inaugural set of UEFA Women's Nations League fixtures has been named.
The Girls in Green will line out at the Aviva Stadium for the first time on Saturday September 23rd when they face Northern Ireland, before an away task against Hungary three days later.
Perhaps as significantly, this will be the first international window of the post-Vera Pauw era, after the Dutch coach's departure in the aftermath of the World Cup in Australia.
READ HERE: FAI Chief Confirms Clash Of Opinions Played Role In Vera Pauw Departure
One player who did not appear to see eye-to-eye with Pauw was Donegal native Tyler Toland. The 22-year-old midfielder only made it into one squad of the Pauw era, with a fallout between the pair seeing Toland out of senior international action for the past four years.
It is an eyebrow raising point of note, then, that Levante midfielder Toland is named in the squad for the Nations League fixtures later this month.
Republic of Ireland WNT: Tyler Toland recalled for Nations League fixtures
WNT squad 🇮🇪 confirmed for UEFA Nations League opening games
Over 3️⃣0️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ tickets sold for Northern Ireland game in @AVIVAStadium
Secure your seat now 👇https://t.co/JBcNEh3DjJ#COYGIG | #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/81r7gZvHMo— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) September 15, 2023
Toland has not played a minute for the Republic of Ireland senior WNT since Vera Pauw's arrival as manager, so it is noteworthy that she is among the 25-player squad named for the two internationals against Northern Ireland and Hungary later this month.
The squad is missing one player who started every game of the World Cup in Australia, with Sinead Farrelly out of the upcoming double header through injury.
Farrelly is not the only player sidelined by injury, with veteran Niamh Fahey also forced out. Megan Campbell, Aoife Mannion, and Leanne Kiernan's injuries - which contributed to their absence in Australia - will once again prevent them from being selected.
Nope, just part of the injury list which is fairly extensive:
Niamh Fahey, Megan Campbell, Aoife Mannion, Jessie Stapleton, Claire Walsh, Tara O’Hanlon, Roma McLaughlin, Jess Ziu, Sinead Farrelly and Leanne Kiernan.— Kathleen McNamee (@kathleen_mcn) September 15, 2023
Áine O'Gorman is also a notable absentee, after her recent retirement from international football, while several new names have come into the squad, including uncapped players.
READ HERE: What Do The FAI CEO's Comments Mean For The Future Of Stephen Kenny?
3 September 2019; Tyler Toland of Republic of Ireland and Sladjana Bulatovic of Montenegro during the UEFA Women's 2021 European Championships Qualifier Group I match between Republic of Ireland and Montenegro at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Who is Tyler Toland?
Tyler Toland is a talented footballer from Donegal. She played for Manchester City, Glasgow City and Celtic before joining Levante.
The last game Tyler Toland played for Ireland came on September 3rd 2019 - the final game before Vera Pauw's arrival as Irish manager.
An apparent fallout between the pair was exacerbated by Pauw's alleged refusal to allow Toland to return to the under-19s squad after being dropped at senior level.
Toland's father Maurice stated his discomfort with Pauw's management in a detailed interview with RTÉ, which followed public allegations by Pauw that Maurice Toland had "harrassed" her in a near-hour-long phone call about her daughter's future.
In the interview with RTÉ, Toland detailed alleged indifference from Pauw towards his daughter, saying that the manager had failed to discuss Tyler's changing role in the squad after taking over as manager.
Furthermore, the Toland family became concerned for Tyler's wellbeing after she lost 6kg to drop to 57kg. At the time, she was just 18-years-old.
It will certainly be intriguing to see what kind of role Tyler Toland plays in the upcoming international window, having worked her way back into contention for the national team.
The Republic of Ireland take on Northern Ireland at 1pm on Saturday September 23 in the Aviva Stadium, before travelling to Budapest to take on Hungary three days later.
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