Retiring Louise Quinn remains available for Ireland selection
LOUISE QUINN REMAINS available for Ireland selection this month despite recently announcing her retirement from football.
The 121-cap defender confirmed her decision to hang up her boots in a statement two weeks ago, and played her last game for Birmingham City last weekend.
But Ireland head coach Carla Ward has revealed that Quinn could again grace the international stage.
The Girls In Green round out their Nations League campaign against Turkey and Slovenia on 30 May and 2 June, with Ward due to name her squad next Tuesday.
'She has made herself available until the summer,' Ward told RTÉ's Tony O'Donoghue.
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'When she called me, she called me to say, 'I'm going to retire from football, but in the summer', and I said, 'What does that look like then?'. And she said, 'I want to let you know I'm available. I'm available for camp'. I said, 'Okay, okay, that's good to know'.
'So we've had a few conversations. She's such a top pro. I've said it a lot. I think one thing we've lacked is leaders. I said that we need to create new leaders. Do I think Lou can play a part in helping those young players breed leadership? Absolutely, I do.'
'We've had a few conversations' - Republic of Ireland manager Carla Ward tells @Corktod that we may not have seen the last of the retiring Louise Quinn in a green jersey
Read more 👉 https://t.co/Cft255vyAH pic.twitter.com/bttimkRwJP — RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 12, 2025
Defensive stalwart Quinn last featured for Ireland in a Euro 2025 qualifier win over France at Páirc Uí Chaoimh last July, later suffering a long-term hip injury.
Heather Payne (Achilles) and Leanne Kiernan (quad) are unlikely to be available for the Nations League double-header, but Megan Connolly and Kyra Carusa are back in the mix, with a pair of friendlies against the USWNT also slated in for next month.
Ireland remain second to Slovenia in their League B group, with the race for automatic promotion set to boil down to their Páirc Uí Chaoimh showdown next month. Elevation to League A remains a possibility for the runners-up, with play-offs scheduled for October.
Assistant coach Amber Whiteley is also set to be involved for Turkey and Slovenia as the Liverpool interim manager waits to learn her fate: she wants the Reds job on a permanent basis, with an appointment due in the off season.
Ward was speaking at a media event this morning. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Meanwhile, Ward has weighed in on the camogie skorts controversy. The Englishwoman assumed it was a joke when she first heard about it, and is puzzled by the ongoing situation.
'It's absolutely ludicrous,' said Ward. 'I'll be honest, some of the (backroom) staff shared it a couple of weeks ago when it first happened, and I actually did say, 'Is this some sort of joke?' I think it's absolutely mental to be even having these conversations in 2025.
'It's an old mentality though isn't it? There's still some countries that have that old mentality towards women. It's crazy. I'll be honest with you, it did blow my mind because I didn't believe that anyone in this country could have that mindset that women had to wear a certain, or couldn't wear a certain short, or skort.'
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