Aoibheann Clancy open to professional career once she finishes her degree
PROFESSIONAL: Aoibheann Clancy grew up idolising Denise O’Sullivan before making her Ireland debut as a substitute for the Cork centurion. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Aoibheann Clancy grew up idolising Denise O’Sullivan before making her Ireland debut as a substitute for the Cork centurion.
That sole cap was granted against Morocco in the run-up to the World Cup and the Limerick lady has been recalled as part of what new manager Carla Ward foresees as a transition.
O’Sullivan has turned 30 and will deliver several more years in the Ireland jersey but the fellow Munsterwoman could eventually replace her in the engine-room.
Clancy won an FAI Cup with Wexford, is studying a Health and Performance Science degree at UCD and recently moved to title favourites Shelbourne.
Now she’s back-to-back Uefa Nations League fixtures against Greece, in Crete on Friday and Tallaght on Tuesday week, to aim for in a bid to resume her international career.
“Originally, I probably just fell into soccer,” she explains.
“I literally only played in the school yard when I was little. My first memory of the national team is going to Tallaght - and I’d actually played in the Gaynor Cup for Tipperary.
“I remember seeing Denise O’Sullivan playing and just like ‘Wow”. D’you know as a young kid going, that’s just unbelievable. That was probably the first time I was like, I’d love to be out there playing.
“I was born in Cork but I’m a Limerick woman, just over the border in Kilbehenny. I went to school in Thurles, Co Tipperary.
“I have started off completely with GAA, camogie and football.
“One of the coaches at home, it was actually for a boys Kilbehenny Celtic team, they were stuck for numbers, and he was like, ‘any chance you’d come along and play?’ He just knew me from the GAA team and I just fell into it really. But I was all GAA growing up.”
Now in the final year of her studies, joining the Irish exports is the ultimate objective.
“I am happy to have gone to college,” he admits.
“Looking at it then I was like, ‘oh my God I’ll be so old by the time college is over, it’ll take so long’. Now I’m like, ‘there’s only one year left, that flew’. I’m happy to have done it. I’m happy to have had that experience of going to college and stuff as well. That’s very important in the maturing process as well.”
“I’d definitely like to go professional if the opportunity came up. I was actually just talking to Amber Barrett this morning about it, she was like, ‘finish your degree’. Hopefully I’ll finish that and if there’s opportunities there I’d definitely like to go professional.”
“I’d be pretty much open to any place once it was the right club and a step up in standard and that.”
