Looking ahead to Ireland’s game against Canada on Wednesday, there’s a significant threat in the vast experience of the Olympic champions, particularly 40-year old Christine Sinclair.
“She is still going strong at 40,” says Aine O’Gorman. “The penalty went against them. It was a good save. Nigeria did well.”
Any chance of O’Gorman still playing at 40?
“No,” the 34-year old laughs.
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O’Gorman has had her fair share of ups and downs with Irish football over her 100+ caps: the wins, the losses, the threatened strike, coming out of retirement, not qualifying for the Euros. “Yeah, it just gives you goosebumps. All the hard work and dedication over the years, and the support from your family and friends and everything that comes with it, the team, sticking together in 2017, and now we’re here on the world stage. It’s just pretty special.”
She retired in 2018, but returned in time for the Euros qualifying campaign, at the behest of Eileen Gleeson, with the firm belief that Ireland could get somewhere unprecedented.
“It would have been during the European Championships qualifying campaign – and we all know how that ended. So, I think that probably gives you more drive and determination to be successful.
“Well, I always believed that first we were going to qualify for a European Championships and then a World Cup. When this campaign started kicking off, obviously that’s when the belief came. To be here is still kind of surreal. You just have to pinch yourself at moments. I think now that we’re here and it’s great to be here, we want to do well and get results.”
Currently playing her club football with Shamrock Rovers, O’Gorman is a team-mate of 18-year old Abbie Larkin, so was less surprised than the rest of the country at her performance against Australia. “I see it week in, week out.”
One of the oldest on the team and the youngest, both at their first World Cup. “Abbie is just the type of player that you need to let go play. I suppose I make sure she is all right in and around camp as well, and her parents are over as well, and that’s a great support for her.
“Every time I look at her I think she’s getting taller! She has matured physically and probably mentally as well on the pitch throughout the years. But there was a time when Shels were playing Peamount and she came on and scored a hat-trick. She was a big impact sub at the time too. At the moment I think the world is her oyster and I think she needs to keep doing what she’s doing.
“She is obviously a huge talent as well. I was sitting beside her on the bench (and I said), ‘Just go on and play and do what you do’. You could see it in her performance, she was fearless. She turned up and probably, you could say, the game changed when the subs were made. But she is still only 18, there is lots more to come.”
When the anthem played, O’Gorman was beside Larkin, “and we just belted it out loud and proud. It was a nice moment.
“Yeah, it was special. All the Irish fans were amazing, louder than the Australian fans, which was great. It was a great moment. Obviously I would like to have got on the pitch and we would have liked to have got a result on the night, but lots to take out of that evening and we’ll move into the next game.”
While she’d have preferred to have featured last week, there is still a role for those on the bench. “I think we have to stay positive in ourselves and positive for everyone else, and stay ready, stay focused on the bench, you are watching the game, in case you are needed or you need to start the next game. So, just full focus and remaining positive in training, putting it in to prepare the starting team and be ready if you need to be.”
O’Gorman has said in the past that a World Cup would be a nice way to bow out of her footballing career. Is this her swan song? “No comment,” she laughs, “It would be, but no comment.”
“I won’t be here at 40, [but] I think I’ll just get through the World Cup first and then I’ll recalibrate.”
In the meantime, there are two group games to go, and another chapter of O’Gorman’s story to be written. I think it’s just a case of being patient and biding my time. I’ll keep working away and be ready when I’m needed. I’m always ready to go.”
