Cork midfielder putting American exams aside to represent Ireland
The Ireland women’s team return to action this afternoon, less than a week after their dispute with the FAI went public, .
The players outlined the concerns they had about their treatment by the association, as well as the lack of remuneration for the sacrifices they make to represent their country.
With a settlement reached in the early hours of Thursday morning, the team are now ready for their return to the field at 2pm at the Tallaght Stadium against Slovakia.
There is still time to be part of the bigger picture. Show your support in Tallaght at 2pm #Selfie #COYGIG #IRLWNT pic.twitter.com/E1q0BvfHiV
— sportsfile (@sportsfile) April 10, 2017
Still, the story of Megan Connolly underlines the level of commitment the team make to don the green jersey.
The Cork-born midfielder flew into Ireland’s training camp on Saturday despite being in the middle of an exam period for her Social Science degree at Florida State University.
Despite the truncated build-up, the 20-year-old says she’s ready for action: “I'm feeling good, I was able to get a good sleep in and it was good for me to get out and train because that really helps me recover.
“Since coming in, we're doing everything right off the pitch so hopefully we'll be able to get it right on the pitch.
“I'm really excited to get back and play at Tallaght Stadium. Especially after the Cyprus Cup (where Ireland finished fourth of 12 teams), I think that has really set the tone for us for what we want going forward.”
Connolly, who made her debut against the USA in January 2016, scored her first senior goal on her last Tallaght Stadium outing, a 9-0 rout of Montenegro last June.
Connolly continued: “It (the Cyprus Cup) was a new start and it went really well so we're all really excited. We know what we want and we've laid the foundations for the future now.
“We're excited to come back to Ireland with what we've learnt and impress. It was really good for me to get back into international football and I think the team is definitely improving.”
