Tara O’Hanlon’s departure for Manchester City an inevitable consequence of talent

From Louise Quinn to Amber Barrett to Heather Payne, and a whole bunch in between, Peamount United have been no strangers to losing some of their best players down the years to opportunities beyond these shores. But sometimes they’re so gifted, you just know they’re destined for bigger things and all you do when they move on is wish them the very best and feel proud to have been part of their journey. Peamount can now add Tara O’Hanlon to that list after she signed for Manchester City on Wednesday.

Long before she made her senior Irish debut at the age of 18 last April against the United States, we knew O’Hanlon was a special talent, she was a different type of player to what we’d seen in a long time. She’d come to us a couple of seasons before and she was ready to make an impact straight away. She didn’t put a foot wrong in that first season when, usually, you expect young players to need time to get up to the pace of senior football. But she was ready to go.

She was brave on the ball, big in the tackle, she had pace and skill, she had it all. She was a willing learner and committed herself to getting into super shape, always trying to improve in any way she could. She played at left back, but she could have played anywhere on that left side. She was as good in attack as she was in defence.

She had trials in England last summer and tore her hamstring on her last day with Manchester United, so she couldn’t finish the season with us. But the performances she had put in, particularly against Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers, were pivotal to us getting over the line in that title race. She was huge for us. So we always knew that her time with Peamount would be limited because you just don’t see someone with that much ability, that young, and not think they’re heading for great things.

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I’m thrilled about her move to City. It’s a club that is investing in all the right ways in the women’s side of its operation, including in new training facilities. They play a really exciting brand of football and they’re not afraid to give young players an opportunity, Lauren Hemp being one example. I completely understand why O’Hanlon would be drawn to a club like that when she had offers from elsewhere, but the key thing now is patience.

That City have given O’Hanlon a long contract, 3½ years, shows that they are willing to invest in her and that they see her potential, despite her still being injured and six to eight weeks from being fit again.

The length of that contract is reflective of where the women’s game is going, like Chelsea giving their world record signing Mayra Ramirez a 4½-year deal. Until now, the contracts were largely short term but the transfer fees are rising and clubs want to make sure they get a return on their investments if they end up selling these players, rather than losing them on a free.

O’Hanlon learning off marking the brilliant Bunny Shaw in training versus her learning off marking me at Peamount … that, alas, is worlds apart

I get the concerns about young players like O’Hanlon moving to England and then having limited game time. But, first, I believe she has the talent to get an early enough chance and, second, even if she has to bide her time for first-team opportunities, she’ll be training day in, day out with world-class players. O’Hanlon learning from marking the brilliant Bunny Shaw in training versus her learning from marking me at Peamount … that, alas, is worlds apart.

And the standard of training in the Women’s Super League is far beyond the league in Ireland and far beyond a lot of the leagues across Europe. Training with players of that quality will benefit a young player, so it’s fine to be patient. It’s when you get older that you have to assess the importance of game time, but when you’re as young as O’Hanlon it’s a very different thing to be sitting on the bench at Manchester City than at somewhere like Reading or Lewes, there’s no comparison.

The length of her contract is perfect for her in terms of security and confidence, in that City are in this for the long haul in terms of her development. It could take a year or so for her to break through, she might even have to go the way of Katie McCabe in her early years with Arsenal, when she went out on loan to Glasgow City, but all the indications are that she should have a long and successful career at the top level if she keeps progressing the way she has.

Of course, there’s frustration for Peamount in not receiving any official fee for O’Hanlon — although she very kindly asked City to contribute to the club. But we just don’t have the resources to put players on professional contracts, so we continue to lose them for free. We’re a feeder club, we know that. My frustration is directed at the lack of help in getting our clubs to that point where we could be compensated in these circumstances. But, as ever, it’s all about money.

I’m so proud of O’Hanlon, as I am of anyone who comes through the ranks at Peamount and goes on to bigger things

And it’s getting harder because other clubs, like Athlone and Shelbourne, are finding the resources from somewhere to push on. Ireland getting to the World Cup was not a golden ticket for the development of football in the country, there’s still a long way to go. There’s a big job ahead for the successor to Eileen Gleeson in the role of the FAI’s head of women’s football, whoever that might be. There hasn’t been much talk about it of late.

But I’m so proud of O’Hanlon, as I am of anyone who comes through the ranks at Peamount and goes on to bigger things. O’Hanlon has talked about how much Peamount meant to her in her time with the club, and the feeling is mutual — we were lucky to have her. She’s a good girl, we all absolutely love her, loved playing with her, loved having her around the dressing room, but sometimes you just know that someone’s destined for greater things.

We’ll hope to get over to see her play for City and maybe snag a few free tickets from her. That’ll hurt a bit, though, I’m a United supporter. But for O’Hanlon, I’ll — briefly — pull on the blue.

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