21-05-2025
'She only wants to play for Ireland': The new US-born recruit tipped for a WSL move
AT GONZAGA UNIVERSITY in Washington, the women's football coach was always asking US-born players if they had another nationality. If so, he encouraged them to get their citizenship so they had the opportunity to play for the relative country.
Erin Healy wasn't sure how the process worked. Her grandfather grew up in Monaghan before moving Stateside, but was uncertain if she would qualify.
Her mother is an Irish citizen and in time, she learned she could be too. Around the time she graduated from Gonzaga University in 2023, she started the process. Healy got her citizenship last September, and eight months later, has received her first call-up to the Ireland team.
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After college, Healy was at a crossroads in her football journey. She was in two minds about playing professionally: she could give it a chance, go and see a bit of the world, and play for a year or two max. Or she could continue to find her way in the corporate sphere, with an accounting job lined up after completing an internship.
Perhaps hesitantly, she decided to give football one more go.
The San Diego native had carved out a respectable college football career. She came to Gonzaga after scoring 20 goals and providing eight assists for her high school, Academy of Our Lady Peace, as they won the 2018 Southern California State Championships. While her Washington side didn't lift major silverware, Healy was named on various All-League teams, hitting the five-to-eight goal mark per season as a lively attacker.
But her love for football began to fade.
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As Healy weighed up her future, a Portuguese top-flight side, Club de Albergaria, reached out. Moving to Europe always interested her, and she went for the life experience, above all else. But there, she rediscovered her love for the game.
She lived with five internationals and the club vice president's 90-year-old grandmother in traditional Portuguese surroundings, and she embraced the lifestyle. In all, she scored eight goals in 24 games, but this chapter was about much more than football.
Everything kick-started in Australia. She signed for Adelaide United last September, with the A-League club hailing her 'versatility, composure on the ball, and strength in one-v-one battles' as she signed the dotted line.
Healy was instrumental for an Adelaide side that finished third in the regular season and reached the play-off semi-finals. While her return of eight goals and two assists in 22 games isn't eye-watering, she was often deployed deeper in midfield.
A new recruit in camp 🇮🇪
See you soon, Erin Healy 🤩 — Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) May 20, 2025
Notably, she was named in the PFA A-League Women's Team of the Season, and as she collected Adelaide's prestigious Dianne Alagich Medal, manager Adrian Stenta said:
'Erin's been outstanding for us this year, not just in terms of her stats, but in the way she's approached every single session and match. Her ability to drive the team forward, her physicality, and her creativity in tight areas — it's made her such a valuable player. Even when returning from injury late in the year, she made a huge difference.
'She's got a great mindset, she's a team-first player, and her influence both on and off the pitch has been immense.'
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The 42 first flagged Healy in March after she shared her ambition to play for Ireland.
'I just got my citizenship back in September, and I started thinking how it would be really cool to get an opportunity to play for their national team,' she told The A-League website.
'So I've been talking with my agent and seeing if that's a realistic goal, and using this season to help me get on their radar. That's kind of my goal for the next couple of months: to get that opportunity to go play for Ireland and see where it can lead me. I'm super excited I have the citizenship, and it's even a possibility.'
In a separate interview with 7News Adelaide, she said: 'I've never been to Ireland, so hopefully I can go soon. I would be so grateful.
'It would be super cool to play for them, representing them and my grandfather, that would be awesome. I've heard Ireland has a great fanbase, and I don't know if I have played before that many fans.'
Yesterday, Healy was named in Carla Ward's squad for the Nations League finale against Türkiye and Slovenia. Viewed as a 'natural replacement' for the injured Leanne Kiernan, Ward said Healy had been tracked 'for some time' by the FAI as she unveiled the new recruit.
The news, shared over the phone, was 'a nice surprise' for Healy, who she is tipping for a WSL move this summer, with interest also attracted from the NWSL and across Europe.
'She is an exciting young player,' Ward said of the 24-year-old.
'She's pacy, she can play off both sides, she can play down the middle. She's tenacious, front-footed, can score goals and link the play. You can see from the goals she scores, she is a natural-born finisher. You can see why she has attracted conversations from big clubs, she just gives us something different.'
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Ward speaking at her press conference. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
As with every dual-eligible player, there may be suspicion in some quarters around her commitment. With interest flagged on this side of the world, some might view this as a shop window move, but Ward dismisses those concerns and stresses Healy's allegiance.
'Just so you are aware, her Irish passport was long before me (arriving). She made herself available under previous managers.
'She has been contacting (the FAI) long before I was here, she's been banging on the door, she wants to play for only one country. I have spoken to Emma [Hayes, USA manager] about her, and she only wants to play for Ireland.
'When I told her this morning on the phone, she was close to tears.'
Vera Pauw and Eileen Gleeson sought out dual players through their tenures, with Kyra Carusa, Anna Patten, Aoife Mannion and Caitlin Hayes among the success stories. Others haven't reappeared after their maiden call-up.
Healy could indeed make her debut against Türkiye or Slovenia, with Carusa, Amber Barrett and Saoirse Noonan named as her direct competition.
'You have four very different forwards and two very different games, so you could see them all featuring at some point,' said Ward.
It's a story worth keeping an eye on over the coming weeks and months.
