The reaction to Leanne Kiernan missing the World Cup squad last year showed how much love there is for the Liverpool striker among her Republic of Ireland team-mates.
“I saw what she sacrificed,” said Courtney Brosnan, who also lives on Merseyside. “She put herself in the best position to make the final squad. It was devastating for her.”
Kiernan is still only 25, so the Cavan woman has time to turn four goals in 38 caps into a final tally that reflects her natural ability. Injuries and Kyra Carusa have lessened opportunities of starting for Ireland.
“I try to live in the present and not think about the past, or the future,” said Kiernan this week. “How can you enjoy the day if you are thinking about what is going to happen in the future or what happened last week?
“I feel, for me, it is important to focus on the here and now.”
In the same breath, she admitted that the only way to get over missing the World Cup is to feature at Euro 2025 in Switzerland.
“Obviously, that is in the back of your mind. It was a tough year altogether. It has taken me six to eight months to properly get back in the swing of things.
“I remember, moving abroad, I told my parents, ‘Listen, I love football and this is why I am doing the job but if there is ever a point that I don’t like it any more, I think I’d hang up my boots and come home.’
“So, right now, that is a real priority for me now, to really enjoy football. We are playing one of the biggest games of my life this week. I am in a good place. I think it is an exciting time. I got the family coming over to Cardiff, they are happy out.”
Despite regaining her place at Liverpool, Kiernan will probably start on the bench against Wales on Friday in the Euro 2025 play-off, first leg. Who knows, she could come on and replicate the Amber Barrett goal at Hampden Park in 2022 and send Ireland to another major tournament.
Somebody has to be the hero. In the meantime, she spent a few minutes entertaining the media before training in Abbotstown this week, mainly talking about sharing a home in Liverpool with Wales midfielder Ceri Holland.
“I live with Ceri. But now, it has been chilled. To be honest, we don’t really talk about football at home. Because it is our job, when we come home, no football talk.
“Obviously it is difficult playing against your team-mates in one of the biggest games of my life.
“It’s just the two of us,” she said. “I moved up to Liverpool four years ago and they moved me in with Ceri. I didn’t know who she was. It has worked out well. A bit of rivalry is healthy.”
The positivity pouring out of Kiernan would draw approval from the other Anfield number nine, Darwin Núñez.
“Listen, it will be tough going back for one of us. As one of the [Liverpool] girls goes: ‘Don’t worry, I’ve a spare bedroom!’
“It’s football, we know what we got to do. If [Ireland] can do what we can do, and I know we can do it, hopefully it will be a good day.”
She has immediate aims, without overcomplicating a fantastic attitude to life in general.
“Like everything, if you’re not enjoying what’s happening right now there’s no point looking to the future because you’re just missing out on the now. Some days in rehab, I found it really tough. But I got through that day and the next day was better.
“You have dreams and goals that you want to get to. A goal of mine right now is to get to Switzerland. Yeah, just enjoy it. We’re only here for a short time so you’ve to make the most of it.”
Kiernan’s refreshing approach shed some light on how Ireland manager Eileen Gleeson chooses not to burden the players with information when they are not in camp.
“It is all this week. I feel they are pretty good at letting us focus on our club so when we come in we are switched on. Sometimes you can be overloaded with information, which I feel does not benefit me. So, when we come in, it is scattered out throughout the week. I think it is better like that.
“When you are in your club it is your day to day job. I think it is hard to focus on both, because we are getting so much information at club. I feel the way Eilo does it, is the right way.”
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