For Hayley Nolan, the addition to the Republic of Ireland squad over the last 14 months of Aoife Mannion, Caitlin Hayes and Anna Patton would have felt a bit like her club going out and signing three established names who all play in her position.
She was already deflated by her lack of international opportunities but, once that trio of defenders declared for Ireland, she was pushed further down the pecking order.
The 27-year-old from Johnstown, Co Kildare is, though, hoping her fortunes will turn when she’s playing in the English Women’s Super League next season.
Mind you, she’s opting to say ‘if’ rather than ‘when’ that happens, but barring the mother of all swings on Sunday, she will be promoted from the Championship with Crystal Palace. Going in to their final game, they are three points clear of Charlton at the top of the table, their goal difference superior by 22. So, one and a bit hands on the trophy.
Since moving to England four years ago, after the former Peamount United player completed her football scholarship at the University of Hartford, leaving there with an MBA in finance, her ambition was to play in the WSL. She came mighty close with London City Lionesses, who finished second and third in the Championship the previous two seasons, but after moving to Crystal Palace last summer, it’s now mission accomplished.
“It’s the best league in the world, it’s just where you want to be as a professional footballer. I’ve been dreaming of this and working towards it every day. For the last couple of years, I really felt that I was a WSL player, that I was ready to challenge myself at that level.So it’s huge for me that I will finally get that opportunity. I cannot wait.”
Her consistency over the last couple of years has been striking. She played every minute of every game for London City last season, and was named their player of the year, before deciding to move to Palace last summer in search of “a fresh start” and “a new challenge”. And if she plays the full 90 on Sunday, she won’t have missed a minute of this season either.
Her form has been outstanding too, Nolan marshalling a defence that conceded just two goals in seven wins from their last eight games, a run that saw Palace pull away from a pack that had made the Championship so competitive this season.
But having played for Ireland all through the underage ranks, she has just three senior caps to her name, all of them coming during Vera Pauw’s time in charge. A shoulder injury that ruled her out for seven months after her debut was a hammer blow, but after being included in Eileen Gleeson’s first three squads, she has been omitted from the last two.
“It hurts,” she says. “I think my performances go under the radar. Maybe it’s because I’m not a big name player. Nobody’s going to say, ‘look, that’s Hayley Nolan’. So yeah, if I’m being quite honest, it has been really hurtful. The last couple of years have been very difficult, obviously with missing out on the World Cup as well. When you’re playing every minute of every game for your club, and having really good seasons, it’s upsetting not to get a chance.
“But I have absolutely no resentment towards those girls [Mannion, Hayes and Patton]. They’re fantastic people, great players and they deserve to be in the squad based on their form for their clubs. But of course it makes it harder for me, so I’m not going to be over the moon about it. We all want to play, we all want to pull on that shirt. I’m super proud to be Irish, so this has been mentally tough. I’m lucky enough to have three caps. Do I want more? Absolutely.”
But the manager has stayed in touch and offered her encouragement, so at least she knows she has not been forgotten about.
“Yeah, Eileen and myself have had open communications and I do appreciate that. I think I just need to keep my head down, keep working hard and hopefully get back in. I can always improve, I can always be better, I know that. And there are so many things in my game that I can improve on – if not, I’d be playing for the best teams in the world.
“If anything, it’s all made me more resilient, motivated me, I want to prove people wrong. I’m trying to do everything in my power to be seen and to be picked – and hopefully playing in the WSL will help.”
The midfielder-turned-defender, who played minor Gaelic football for Kildare, knows that the step up won’t be an easy one for her or Palace, where her team-mates include fellow internationals Izzy Atkinson and Abbie Larkin. To prepare herself for that WSL challenge, she intends spending the bulk of the summer working at the club’s training ground, rather than lazing around in the sun.
“I can’t just sit on a beach and then go and play against Mayra Ramirez or Sam Kerr and expect to stroll it,” she laughs. “So I’ll stay in London, work hard, and make sure I’m ready – because I’ve been waiting four years for this.”
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