Latest news with #HeatherPayne
The 42
9 hours ago
- Sport
- The 42
Heather Payne seeking a new club as Everton allow her contract to run out
EVERTON WOMEN HAVE confirmed that Irish international Heather Payne will leave the club at the end of this month when her contract runs out. The former Peamount United player had been with the Toffees from late August 2023, and joins Justine Vanhaevermaet on the way out. Payne made the move to L4 in 2023, following four years in the American college system. She scored her first Everton goal in royal blue as her side progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur. Vanhaevermaet penned a two-year deal with the Club in August 2023 and played all but one Women's Super League matches last season. The Belgian operated both at the heart of defence and in midfield, while also opening the scoring in the Blues' 3-0 victory against Crystal Palace. Advertisement Everton Head coach Brian Sorensen said, 'Heather has worked tirelessly and her improvement as a player, and a person, is clear to see. Her attitude and desire to win games has helped us massively throughout my time as head coach. 'On behalf of everyone at the Club, I want to thank both players for their service and we wish them all the very best for the future.'
RTÉ News
13 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Everton confirm Heather Payne will leave club this month
Everton have confirmed that Republic of Ireland international Heather Payne will leave the Women's Super League club when her contract expires at the end of the month. The versatile 25-year-old, who is not in Carla Ward's Irish squad for this month's friendlies in the USA having been hampered by injury, has been at the Toffees since August 2023 after spending four years in the US collegiate system with Florida State Seminoles. The Ballinasloe native won Everton's Young Player of the Season award in her debut campaign before making another 17 appearances last season. "Heather has worked tirelessly and her improvement as a player, and a person, is clear to see. Her attitude and desire to win games has helped us massively throughout my time as head coach," said Everton head coach Brian Sorensen of the former Peamount United player as her impending exit was confirmed. Payne's Ireland team-mate, goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan, remains part of the club's first team and is contracted until June 2026. The Everton women's will be , with the men's side moving to the newly-built stadium at Bramley Moore Dock.
Irish Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
‘It is absolutely ludicrous': Ireland manager Carla Ward shocked by skorts controversy
Republic of Ireland manager Carla Ward has questioned whether the executive leadership of the Camogie Association should remain in their roles. Ward's comment follows the postponement of last Saturday's Munster camogie final between Cork and Waterford, after both panels refused to wear 'skorts' instead of shorts as per the rule book. 'It is absolutely ludicrous,' said Ward of the ongoing controversy. 'Some of the [FAI] staff shared it when it first happened, and I did say: 'Is this some sort of joke?' 'It is mental to be even having these sort of conversations in 2025. READ MORE 'It is an old mentality, isn't it? There are still some countries who have an old mentality towards women. It is crazy. We are getting there in a lot of places but, I'll be honest with you, it did blow my mind that anyone in this country could have the mindset that women couldn't wear shorts. 'What does that say about the people at the top? Should they really be there or should they move on, and pass the baton to a different generation? 'Ireland is a big sporting country so it is just unbelievable,' added the English-based coach. 'It is very outdated.' In 2023 the FAI gave the senior women's squad the option of changing from the traditional white shorts for international games, following the lead of the Ireland rugby team changing to navy shorts to address 'period anxiety'. Ward also revealed that Heather Payne (Achilles tendon) and Leanne Kiernan (quad) are out of the Nations League trip to Turkey on May 30th and the final match of the group stages against Slovenia in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on June 3rd. Louise Quinn, however, is set to link up with the squad to potentially add to her 121 caps before she retires from the sport later this summer. 'She has made herself available until the summer,' Ward explained. 'Do I think Lou can play a part in helping those young players breed leadership? Absolutely, I do.' Ireland captain Katie McCabe will be a late arrival into camp, Ward confirmed, and she could miss the Turkey match as her club Arsenal play Barcelona in the Champions League final in Lisbon on May 24th. Amber Whiteley, the Liverpool interim manager, will continue as an assistant coach for the upcoming fixtures. 'O course we want to keep Amber. She has a high level of knowledge, good quality, great around the group. But at the same time, if she gets [the Liverpool] head coach job, I will be the first to congratulate her.'
The Irish Sun
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘Is this a joke?' – Ireland boss Carla Ward slams ‘ludicrous' skorts row & urges camogie chiefs to ‘pass the batton'
IRELAND manager Cara Ward admitted she thought the Camogie Skort controversy was a joke - as she questioned how it could still be happening in 2025. English woman Ward became Ireland manager earlier this year and has spent a lot of time in Dublin in the past four months getting up to speed on all Irish sport, not just soccer. Advertisement 2 Cork vs Waterford in the Munster camogie final was postponed after players said they would be wearing shorts instead of skorts Credit: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile 2 Ireland head coach Carla Ward slammed the controversy Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile But she said she was stunned when sent a WhatsApp message recently that outlined the players' wanting the option to wear shorts, but being forbidden. The Camogie Association - which said the rule change could not be discussed until 2027 - will now have a But the whole story has left Ward flabbergasted. Advertisement Read More on Camogie She said: 'It's absolutely ludicrous. I'll be honest, some of the staff shared it a couple of weeks ago when it first happened and I actually did say, 'Is this some sort of joke?' 'It's absolutely mental to be having these conversations in 2025. It's an old mentality isn't it. There are some countries that have that old mentality towards women. 'It's crazy. I think we're getting there in a lot of places. '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 shorts. Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling 'What does that say about the people at the top? Should they really be there or should they move on and pass the baton to a younger generation.' Meanwhile, Ward has confirmed that Everton's Heather Payne and Liverpool's Leanne Kiernan are likely to miss the Nations League finale against Turkey and Slovenia. 'It's a failure on the camogie association' - RTE GAA pundits don't sit on fence over 'no-brainer' skorts saga The Girls in Green face Turkey in Istanbul on Friday May 30, before taking on Slovenia in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday June 3. Ward said: 'Heather Payne missed the rest of the season, missed our last squad and she is struggling a little bit and will this camp. Advertisement 'Leanne Kiernan has had a re-occurrence of a quad injury and she is very likely to miss this camp also.'
