Caulfield driven to succeed

Sportswoman of the month: For most Irish hockey-watchers it's a startling reminder that they're not as young as they think they are when they note Linda Caulfield's senior caps total: 92.

After all, it seems a mere year or three since she was first called up to the Irish squad, at the age of 19. But that was February, 1999. Four months later she won her first cap, against Russia at Belfield, and such has been the crammed nature of the Irish team's programme since then the caps have amassed, in abundance.

And she turned 25 only at the end of March. "I have the wrinkles to prove it," she says, although on hearing that she was The Irish Times/Mitsubishi Electric Sportswoman of the Month for March, she admitted to very nearly feeling "young" again.

"When I first came in to the squad, Julie Stewart had around 83 caps and I remember thinking, 'My God, she must have been here forever', I just couldn't imagine how you could get that many caps," said the Wexford native, who reckons she has missed only six internationals in five years, due to injuries and work commitments.

She has, in that time, been one of Ireland's most consistent performers, but since moving from right-back to midfield in the last year Caulfield has come of age on the international stage, freed from her restricting defensive duties, free to realise the potential she first displayed when she emerged as a coltish teenager for Loreto Wexford, free to become the midfield driving force she always was for her school-mates.

She describes her switch to midfield as a "new lease of life", which was in evidence at the Olympic Qualifier in New Zealand in March.

By common consent, Ireland's 1-1 draw with Germany was the finest Irish competitive display in recent memory, and, by common consent, Caulfield was the star.

She bossed, outfought and outclassed the German midfield for the bulk of the game, did much the same in the opening game of the tournament, when Ireland beat Ukraine for the first time, and excelled again in the "golden goal" defeat by the US which ended Ireland's hopes of qualifying for Athens - the same US which had beaten Ireland, with ease, five games running in January.

"When I came off after the Germany match I texted a pal and said, 'Just now this makes five years of sacrifice worth everything, it means everything'. There's no description in the world that sums up how good you feel after a match like that, nothing else in life equals it - promotions in work, great nights out, nothing at all. It's such an adrenaline rush, it's incredible.

"These are really rare moments, only a handful of people get to experience them and are lucky enough to be there at times like that."

Facts are facts: Ireland finished eighth out of 10 teams in New Zealand, which was their ranking going into the tournament, and, as someone who names (the suddenly newsworthy) Roy Keane as her sporting hero, Caulfield isn't one for celebrating moral victories. But progress, as far as performance, was definitely made.

"Yeah, we were deflated coming back, but I just started thinking of Beijing 2008 and I thought, 'Right, that's the one we'll make'. And we will too, please God. I still believe we're going to make an Olympics, so I'm going to hang in there for the next one. Whatever it takes, I'll do it.

"We're on the way up. We sing Ireland's Call all the time. I've sung 'come the day, come the hour' so many times I think I really believe it now, our day will come, I have such faith in this team.

"We came on so much in four months this year, can you imagine what we could do in three years if we had the funding? But I'll do whatever it takes to hang in there. There's a spirit and belief and pride like never before and we are prepared to work for it. Beijing 2008. Trust me."

Meantime, though, it's back to work. Forty hours from the minute she left her Auckland hotel to the moment she put the key in the front door of her Dublin home, a couple of hours' sleep and then off to club training (with Hermes) for the following weekend's Irish Senior Cup final.

Then back to work as a medical representative with Innovex, where she is contracted to Wyeth. Without their cooperation, she says, her international career would have ended before it ever took off, which is the fate of many budding Irish players.

Her holidays for 2004 are used up, but she has no complaints: "That's my choice".

Besides, she feels lucky. Her brother Darren, a member of the senior Wexford hurling panel, is recovering from his second cruciate ligament injury in a couple of years. "So, I've nothing to complain about. I play for Ireland. You couldn't ask for more."