In a significant moment for her burgeoning career, Shamrock Rovers defender Maria Reynolds has earned her first-ever call-up to the Republic of Ireland senior women's squad. The 21-year-old is part of the group selected for the crucial upcoming World Cup qualifying double-header against Poland.
Reynolds is joined by two other new faces in the revised squad: Sunderland's Jamie Finn and Shelbourne's Aoibheann Clancy, who returns to the international fold for the first time in over a year. Their inclusions come as manager Carla Ward deals with a spate of injuries, with Aoibhe Brennan, Lily Agg, and Jessie Stapleton all forced to withdraw from the initial selection.
The injury news is a tough blow, particularly for teenager Brennan, whose maiden senior call-up was cut short by an ankle injury. Durham's Agg has suffered a devastating rupture of her Achilles tendon shortly after returning from an ACL injury, while Stapleton has not recovered in time from a knock sustained in WSL 2 action.
The squad will convene this Wednesday to begin preparations for a massive week. The campaign continues with a trip to face Poland at the Gdansk Stadium on April 14th, before the return leg at Dublin's Aviva Stadium just four days later. These matches are pivotal as Ireland looks to solidify its position in the qualifying group.
The full squad, blending experience with fresh talent, is listed below:
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton FC), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic), Grace Moloney (Sunderland).
Defenders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal FC), Anna Patten (Aston Villa FC), Caitlin Hayes (Brighton & Hove Albion), Aoife Mannion (Newcastle United), Chloe Mustaki (Nottingham Forest), Jamie Finn (Sunderland), Maria Reynolds (Shamrock Rovers).
Midfielders: Denise O'Sullivan (Liverpool), Tyler Toland (Durham), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Marissa Sheva (Sunderland), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Ruesha Littlejohn (Crystal Palace), Jess Ziu (West Ham United), Aoibheann Clancy (Shelbourne).
Forwards: Saoirse Noonan (Celtic FC), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Leanne Kiernan (Nottingham Forest - loan), Emily Murphy (Newcastle United), Kyra Carusa (Kansas City Current - loan), Amber Barrett (Strasbourg).