There’s a tendency, maybe a forgivable enough one, to get over-excited about Irish players moving to English WSL clubs. After all, it’s arguably the strongest women’s league in the world, so why wouldn’t you want our crew signed up by clubs at that level?
If they’re getting plenty of game time, then the experience of coming up against some of the best players in the world can, of course, only stand to them. But if they’re hardly getting a look-in, the prestige of being a WSL player soon loses its lustre.
It so happens that two Irish players on either side of that scale, both in Carla Ward’s squad for the opening Nations League games against Turkey in Tallaght on Friday and away to Slovenia next Tuesday, live together in London. Dubliners Abbie Larkin (19) and Izzy Atkinson (23) joined Crystal Palace in January last year, Larkin arriving from Glasgow City and Atkinson from West Ham.
It’s been a tale of wildly contrasting seasons for the pair who already have 39 senior caps between them and who were both in Ireland’s World Cup squad, Larkin becoming the youngest Irish player, male or female, to play in the tournament.
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Fourteen games into Palace’s first WSL campaign, last season’s Championship winners are bottom of the table with just one win so far, and Larkin and Atkinson have yet to start a single game. Larkin has, though, come off the bench 12 times, so is building up the minutes, but Atkinson has featured in just two games, playing just 14 WSL minutes in all. And until last weekend she hadn’t even made the Palace bench since the turn of the year.
That’s a reversal in fortune from last season when Atkinson started every game for Palace after her arrival, while Larkin had to settle for just three appearances as a sub. Larkin is, then, kicking on, but Atkinson is paying the price for the huge influx of new signings last summer, many of them internationals.
“It’s tough in the WSL, everyone’s fighting for their place,” says Larkin of her best friend’s predicament. “But we have each other anyway, so we can lean on each other for anything. Obviously it’s sad when she’s not in the squad, but she still joins in with the team and just watches from a different perspective.”
“It’s definitely a big step up from the Championship, it’s tough trying to adapt, and we have found it hard as a club. But I came from not getting many minutes last season to actually coming on in the WSL, so I’m happy about it.”
“Not playing, sitting on the bench, is not going to help your development. Confidence is key. If you’re playing a lot of minutes, you’re going to get confident on the ball. It just helps you believe in yourself more. It’s really important.”
Of the 15 Republic of Ireland internationals in the WSL this season, Larkin is faring better than most in terms of playing time, sixth behind Courtney Brosnan, Anna Patten, Katie McCabe, Heather Payne and Leanne Kiernan. Her clubmate Hayley Nolan would most likely have been near the top of that list only for an injury-interrupted season, but her presence at the club, along with Atkinson’s arrival, helped Larkin settle in.
“Having a bit of Irish culture there is amazing, and has helped a lot. We’re all very supportive of each other,” she says. And do they try to pass on that Irish culture to their team-mates who hail from ... deep breath ... England, Scotland, Wales, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, New Zealand, Canada, the United States and Jamaica? “We try to, all the time. A bit of our music, a lot of things. I think most of them are trying to say they’re half-Irish now. They all love me, Hayley and Izzy.”
Larkin, whose preferred position is on the right wing, is now hoping she can prosper under new Irish manager Ward. “I had a chat with her and she seems really nice. I think it’s going to be more attacking football, which is definitely going to benefit me. We’re all really excited about her coming in and we’re excited for a fresh start. We can’t wait.”
