Former Netherlands, Scotland, and Russia manager Vera Pauw has been appointed as the new manager of the Ireland women's national team.
The Dutch coach was in the stands at Tallaght Stadium last night. She oversaw Ireland's 2-0 win over Montenegro in their first EURO 2021 qualification match.
Speaking on the appointment, Pauw said:
I am very excited at the prospect of managing the Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team for the remainder of this European Championship campaign. I believe we can achieve very positive results together.
The 56 year-old also added that she "was impressed" by what she saw from the Ireland side against Montenegro.
Interim FAI General Manager Noel Mooney said that the appointment came at a "crucial point for the women's game in Ireland."
Our objective in making this appointment was very clear. To find the best manager to lead our talented squad to EURO 2021 in England. All while continuing to build sustainable growth in the high-performance sector of the women’s game.
We worked extremely hard to find the right coach to give our squad the best opportunity possible to qualify. Vera’s career in her native Netherlands, Scotland, South Africa and in other parts of the world demonstrate her standing as a pioneer of women’s football.
Pauw had a stellar playing career, procuring 89 caps for the Netherlands over the course of 15 years. She also became the first Dutch woman to play professionally outside the Netherlands, signing for CF Modena in 1988.
Pauw brings a wealth of coaching experience to the role. Pauw became the manager of the Scottish women's national team in 1998. This was at the same time her husband Bert van Lingen, who she played under for the Netherlands, was assistant manager to Dick Advocaat at Rangers. She stayed in the role for six years before taking up the same role with the Dutch national side. In 2009, her team reached the semi-final of the European Championships.
After leaving her post as Dutch manager in 2010, Pauw had managerial roles with the likes of Russia, South Africa and American club Houston Dash. She was also an advisor to the Thailand women's national team in 2019 before accepting the Ireland job.
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