Payne receives international call up under new head coach
Ballinasloe native, Heather Payne, has been selected in the Ireland women’s national team squad as they prepare to get their 2025 UEFA Nations League campaign underway.
Under new head coach Carla Ward, Ireland will host Türkiye on Friday, February 21, in Tallaght Stadium before travelling to Koper to face Slovenia on Tuesday, February 25, in their opening two games in Group 2 in League B.
These will be the first set of six games, with Greece also in Group 2, as Ireland aim to seal top spot and qualification to League A ahead of the qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Ward was unable to call on the quintet of Louise Quinn, Tara O’Hanlon, Lily Agg, Jamie Finn and Jess Ziu, while Niamh Fahey, Diane Caldwell and Julie-Ann Russell recently retired from international football.
Charlton Athletic midfielder Melisa Filis, who qualifies through her Mayo-born mother, has been called up for the first time after receiving FIFA international clearance.
There will be some new faces amongst the coaching staff with Alan Mahon (Assistant Head Coach) and Amber Whiteley (Assistant Coach) joining Emma Byrne (Goalkeeping Coach) and Ivi Casagrande (Performance Coach) in supporting Ward.
The squad will link up on Sunday, February 16, to begin preparing for the two games with sessions in the FAI National Training Centre.
Over 7,000 tickets have already been snapped up for the Türkiye game with fans encouraged to secure their seat to cheer on the Girls in Green - www.fai.ie/tickets
Ireland WNT Squad
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic), Grace Moloney (Unattached)
Defenders: Heather Payne (Everton), Jessie Stapleton (Sunderland – on loan from West Ham United), Anna Patten (Aston Villa), Aoife Mannion (Manchester United), Caitlin Hayes (Brighton & Hove Albion), Megan Campbell (London City Lionesses), Katie McCabe (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Tyler Toland (Blackburn Rovers), Ruesha Littlejohn (Unattached), Marissa Sheva (Unattached), Melisa Filis (Charlton Athletic)
Forwards: Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Kyra Carusa (San Diego Wave), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Izzy Atkinson (Crystal Palace), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Emily Murphy (Newcastle United)