It was only two years ago this month that Vera Pauw gave Aoife Mannion her Republic of Ireland debut, but already the Manchester United defender is on to her third international manager following Carla Ward’s appointment as Eileen Gleeson’s successor last month.
While she’s excited about what Ward can bring to the table, starting with Ireland’s opening Nations League games against Turkey in Tallaght on Friday and Slovenia away on Tuesday week, she admits to having been taken aback by Gleeson’s departure from the job.
“It was a surprise for me when she wasn’t kept on. It wasn’t something that was on my radar. As players these decisions are made above us and not something we have a say in. But I really liked Eilo, I liked the feel of her camps. It was really disappointing that we didn’t get through, and obviously for Eilo it was disappointing on a personal level too,” she says of the Euro 2025 play-off defeat by Wales.
She also regretted what has proved to be the controversial departure of Colin Healy from his role as assistant to Gleeson, but unlike team-mates Denise O’Sullivan and Caitlin Hayes, who have both been critical of how the FAI handled that situation, Mannion restricted herself to paying tribute to the Cork man.
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“Colin was a really, really lovely person to have in camp. He was a really liked member of the squad, as was Eilo of course. I can only speak of my experience of his character and who he was as a person, and it was really sad for him and Eilo not to be involved any more because I, on a personal level, got on really well with them.”
While she has never played for Ward at club level Mannion worked under her new assistant Alan Mahon for two years at Manchester City.
“Alan . . . it’s weird calling him that because I know him as Mahonie...was the assistant to Nick Cushing at the time, really good guy, lots of experience. At City the model was very technical and possession-based, which was really cutting edge in the league at that time. So it was a real challenge and growth point for me trying to get on-board and up to speed with that having come from Birmingham which was much more traditional.”
“It felt like playing under coaches like Alan and Nick took it to the next level in terms of technical detail and what you do on the ball. So I can only hope that he will bring some of that experience to our camps, and that will be complimented by Amber Whiteley [who has also joined Ward’s team] and obviously Carla herself as the head coach.”
“It’s for Carla now to put her stamp on it, it’s her fresh start, and to continue that good feeling and the excitement the players have for being involved. I met up with her after one of United’s games and so far I have only positive things to say about her. She seems to be wanting to hit the ground running. She seems fresh with ideas and ambitions for us as a team.”
While the retirements of Niamh Fahey, Diane Caldwell and Julie-Ann Russell, with 283 caps between them, deprives the squad of a world of experience, the rest of the faces remain largely the same, with several of the support staff staying on too.
“So it’s definitely a fresh start in the sense that there’s a new management team in, but the core part of the group remain, both in terms of the players and the many members of staff who are all familiar faces. So many of the good things about being involved with this team remain and are constant. But obviously Carla is the fresh face right at the top.”
