Crystal Palace midfielder Shanade Hopcroft is the surprise inclusion in Carla Ward’s Republic of Ireland squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying play-off against Kazakhstan. The 28-year-old qualifies for Ireland through her grandmother Nora Hopcroft, a native of Tubbercurry, Co Sligo.
Born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, Hopcroft helped Birmingham City win promotion to the WSL last season before rejoining Palace where she had enjoyed a successful first spell, also helping them earn promotion to the WSL and being named their player of the year.
She began her career in Chelsea’s academy, had spells with London Bees and Reading before taking up a scholarship at Daytona State College in the United States. She went on to play with Colorado Buffaloes before returning to England.
Leicester City’s Heather Payne returns to the squad for the first time in a year after an injury-interrupted spell, but Wolves’ Tara O’Hanlon and Watford’s Saoirse Noonan have both been ruled out with hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively.
While Denise O’Sullivan is named in the squad, she will not travel to Astana for the first leg on Friday week, the Cork woman nursing a knee injury since joining Gotham FC from Liverpool during the summer. Ward is hopeful, though, that she will be fit for the second leg in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on October 13th.
Captain Katie McCabe and midfielder Marissa Sheva are both suspended for the first leg but will be available for the second. Midfielder Aoibheann Clancy, who joined Watford in the English WSL2 from Shelbourne in August, is included again, but there is no place for any player from the domestic league.
If Ireland get past Kazakhstan they will face either Belgium or Poland in the final play-off round, the prize a place in next summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Southampton), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic).
Defenders: Aoife Mannion (Newcastle United), Heather Payne (Leicester City), Anna Patten (Aston Villa), Caitlin Hayes (Brighton), Jessie Stapleton (Leicester City), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Hayley Nolan (Crystal Palace), Chloe Mustaki (Nottingham Forest), Katie McCabe (Chelsea).
Midfielders: Denise O’Sullivan (Gotham FC), Marissa Sheva (Sunderland), Aoibheann Clancy (Watford), Jamie Finn (Burnley), Lucy Quinn (Sheffield United), Tyler Toland (Burnley), Jess Ziu (Leicester City), Shanade Hopcroft (Crystal Palace).
Forwards: Kyra Carusa (HB Køge), Amber Barrett (Strasbourg), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Emily Murphy (Brighton), Leanne Kiernan (Newcastle United).