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FORMER ASTON VILLA manager Carla Ward has been appointed as the new head coach of the Ireland women’s national team.
The FAI announced the news this evening, with Ward succeeding Eileen Gleeson in the managerial hot-seat.
The former Villa, Sheffield United and Birmingham City manager will lead the team through to the end of the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup campaign.
Ex-Ireland international Alan Mahon has been confirmed as Ward’s assistant coach, with Emma Byrne continuing on as goalkeeping coach.
“I’m hugely excited to get going with the Ireland Women’s National Team,” said Ward. “This is an unbelievable opportunity, not just with the National Team but in helping to add to the fantastic work being done to develop women and girls’ football.
“Over the next two and a half years, as we build towards the World Cup, we can make a real difference and I’m looking forward to getting started.”
Ward has been out of football management since May, when she stepped down from the helm of WSL outfit Villa to prioritise her family life.
This will be the 41-year-old Englishwoman’s first international job, having been part of Emma Hayes’ USWNT staff as they won Gold at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Ward spent three years at the Villa helm; steering them to their best-ever league finish of fifth in 2022/23, as well as a FA Cup and Conti Cup semi-final appearances. The former Sheffield United captain has been coaching since 2018: she managed the Blades and Birmingham City before taking charge of Villa, where she was a popular figure and recruited well. She is currently working towards completing the Uefa Pro Licence.
“We are thrilled to announce a Head Coach of Carla’s pedigree,” FAI Chief Football Officer Marc Canham added. “To be able to secure such a top quality coach is a statement of where our ambition for our Women’s National Team where can go.
“We are delighted to secure someone who brings the passion, commitment and skillset that we set out to find in the recruitment process. Carla’s experience as a coach, aligned with her ability to bring the best out in those around her, marked her out as our number one candidate and we are confident that she will be a brilliant appointment.
“This is an important time for the development of women and girls’ football in Ireland, so having Carla play a leading role in that is hugely significant and we are excited to see what our Women’s National Team can achieve with her.”
Canham, FAI CEO David Courrell, Paul Cooke, Packie Bonner, Laura Finnegan and Aoife Rafferty were on the recruitment panel, and The 42 understands the final round interviews took place last week. The Association have delivered an exciting appointment, and a strong managerial ticket.
Ward will be officially unveiled at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow afternoon.
Ireland return to action next month, when they open their Nations League campaign against Turkiye at Tallaght Stadium on Friday, 21 February. This will be Ward’s first game in charge, while her side face Slovenia in Koper the following Tuesday.
The FAI decided not to offer Gleeson a contract extension in December in the wake of Ireland’s failure to qualify for Euro 2024.
Written by Emma Duffy and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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So they did well at local and European elections, but that doesn’t be the same for general election. The arrogance grows strong as Yoda would say.
@John John: 62 days and he is still counting
@Mick McGuinness: winners are entitled to be arrogant, Shinners however, lol
@Mick McGuinness: Just like in 2019, FF/FG won 52% of the seats in the local elections, in the general election that followed FF and FG lost so much ground from the previous years local elections that they had to form a coalition for thge first time in their history, sworn enemies, so on that basis you definitely cannot take anything for granted in politics.
People should not waste their votes, the turnout at these elections was abysmal.
@Duffman: winners? FG and FF had a poorer showing in these local elections compared to 2019. Whereas SF increased their seats compared to 2019.
@Ian: Yes, Mary Lou was absolutely delighted with the result yesterday – “It has not been our day but we will have our day … we clearly have lessons to learn”. You need to compare this result with expectation, not with the abysmal showing of SF back in 2019.
@SYaxJ2Ts: There’s an easy metric: did David Cullinane shout ‘Up the Ra!’ at any point?
If not, SF’s showing was poor.
@Ian: still more than SF, granted numbers are not the Shinners strong point lol
This will come back to bite them, they should take advantage now of the voter apathy.
Patriots on here gone EXTREMELY quiet who kept repeating how they and everyone were going to vote for Ireland First / Führer Party / white Nationalism party / Irish people because something got to do with their failed referendums and migration. Well “mass immigration” FFG will romp home at the GE. The far-right no-seats parties have gone VERY quiet on their socials as they didn’t win a seat.
@9QRixo8H: You could almost hear a pin drop they’re gone that quiet. Meanwhile, over on the cesspit that is The Gript, the comments sections are hilarious! They’re crying foul and rigged elections hahahaha those people are utterly deluded.
@Ian: the ethnoNational party in total got 0.3%. The Führer party got 0.5%. Ireland First got 0.2%. Imagine that! Yet going by the comments on here they were due to get 110%. So much for the “openborders” the “unvetted” and “mass immigration” blah blah blah. The führer is dead.
@9QRixo8H: Well they did win a few seats and, more importantly, ate into SF support. All but guaranteeing two things. Another FF/FG led government and and the continued rise of the far right. FF/FG have willingly allowed the far right to grow to keep themselves in power and undermine SF. Just another example of irreparable damage they’ve done to this country.
@Gareth: ‘FF/FG have willingly allowed the far right to grow’???? How could they stop haters and racists from being haters and racists?
If the far right have taken votes from SF, it just goes to show that SF wasn’t really the left-wing party it claimed to be: it was far too reliant on the easy pleasures and prejudices of nationalism.
@Gareth: the top performing Far Right party got 0.5%. Hardly ate into SF or FFG’s support.
@9QRixo8H: brilliant piece of work by Simon Harris removing asylum seekers from ipo and canal area then sending 50 of them back to ni then cutting their money everyone fell for it his far right stance won the day
How come 26 EU countries, most of which held elections after us on Friday have their results done and dusted?
What is the hold up with Irish results?
Simon has the bit in his mouth now lol.
I really hope they do, could be the biggest blindside ever
We won’t go into power with fg we won’t call an early election
have your say