Three years after Bela Pau invited him to train with the Republic of Ireland national team, former England underage international Emily Murphy has replaced Pau ahead of friendly matches away to Italy and at home to Wales. It was formally convened by one Eileen Gleeson.
Murphy, a 20-year-old striker who plays college football at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, started out at Chelsea before moving to the United States, before spending a short loan spell at Birmingham City two years ago.
Back in 2021, she was undecided about her international future. “Emily hasn’t made her choice yet,” Poe said at the time. “She’s blessed with great talent, but she told us she’s really lost. Her whole family is from Ireland, and her whole family knows that she also played for Ireland. I hope you do.”
It now appears that Murphy has made her choice, with the FAI saying she is eligible through her Dublin-born father.
Amber Barrett’s call-up comes after Gleeson removed her from the squad in November, but the Standard Liege forward has been a fixture in the squad since making his senior debut in 2017. It was a surprise for Louise Quinn, who dislocated her shoulder while playing for Birmingham City last month. Among them was Manchester United, who only made her first appearance of the season last Sunday after a long spell out with a medial collateral ligament injury. This includes defender Aoife Mannion.
Liverpool’s Rhian Kiernan and Niamh Fahey have also returned to club action in recent weeks following injury. Ireland play away to Italy next Friday and then at home to Wales the following Tuesday.
Ireland representative
Goalkeeper: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (London City Lioness), Sophie Whitehouse (Lewis).
Defender: Jesse Stapleton (on loan from Reading – West Ham United), Diane Caldwell (FC Zurich), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Caitlin Hayes (Celtic), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Aoife・Manion (Manchester United), Megan Campbell (London City Lionesses)
Midfielder: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denis O’Sullivan (NC Courage), Lily Agg (Birmingham City), Tyler Toland (Blackburn Rovers), Megan Connolly (Bristol City), Rusha Littlejohn (London)・City Lionesses), Jamie Finn (Birmingham City)), Heather Payne (Everton), Jess Jiu (West Ham United), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Izzy Atkinson (Crystal Palace)
forward: Kyra Calusa (San Diego Wave), Abby Larkin (Crystal Palace), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Leanne Keenan (Liverpool), Emily Murphy (Wake Forest University).
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