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Claire Walsh (footballer)

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Claire Walsh
Personal information
Full name Claire Walsh[1]
Date of birth (1994-10-28) 28 October 1994 (age 30)[2][3]
Place of birth Kilbride, County Wicklow, Ireland[4]
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[5]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Glasgow City
Number 5
Youth career
Lakeside FC
Peamount United
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2015 Central Connecticut Blue Devils 59 (6)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 Peamount United
2015–2016 New England Mutiny
2017 UCD Waves
2018–2021 Peamount United
2021– Glasgow City 23 (4)
International career‡
2019– Republic of Ireland 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 01 May 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 February 2022

Claire Walsh (born 28 October 1994) is an Irish footballer who plays as a defender for Glasgow City of the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL) and the Republic of Ireland national team. A product of the American college soccer system with Central Connecticut Blue Devils, she has previously played club soccer for New England Mutiny in the United States and for Women's National League (WNL) clubs Peamount United and UCD Waves. She has also played inter county Ladies' Gaelic football for her native Wicklow GAA.

Club career

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Walsh played for Lakeside FC of Blessington from under-12 to under-15 level, then progressed through Peamount United's youth system.[6] Head coach Eileen Gleeson promoted Walsh into the senior squad at 16 years old for a 2011–12 UEFA Women's Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain Féminine.[7] Walsh completed her Leaving Cert in 2012 and accepted an offer to play four years of college soccer for the Central Connecticut State University "Blue Devils".[8]

In May 2015, Walsh signed for Women's Premier Soccer League club New England Mutiny.[9] They reached the East Region final in the 2015 WPSL season, but Walsh was out injured for the 2–0 defeat by Boston Breakers Reserves.[10] Returning in 2016 she made six appearances as New England Mutiny, now playing in United Women's Soccer, finished second in the Eastern Conference.[11]

In the 2017 Women's National League, Walsh played for UCD Waves while completing a master's degree in computer science at University College Dublin.[12] Playing under her former Peamount coach Eileen Gleeson, she captained The Waves to a fourth-place finish in the League and a 1–0 FAI Women's Cup final defeat by Cork City at the Aviva Stadium.[13]

Ahead of the 2018 Women's National League season, Walsh returned to Peamount United: "My main reason for moving would be that I'm finished up studying in UCD. Peamount has always been my club and it's closer to home".[12] In 2019 Walsh displayed good form and was named to the WNL Team of the Season, as The Peas recaptured the League title for the first time since 2011–12.[14] She also played in Peamount's 2018 and 2019 FAI Women's Cup final defeats by Wexford Youths.[15][16]

After helping Peamount United secure a League and Cup "double" in their 2020 campaign, Walsh signed a two-year professional contract with Scottish Women's Premier League club Glasgow City in July 2021.[17]

International career

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While enrolled at University College Dublin, Walsh represented Ireland at the 2017 Summer Universiade.[1] Republic of Ireland coach Colin Bell gave Walsh her first senior call-up for the FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying fixture against Northern Ireland in September 2017.[18]

In August 2019, she won her first senior cap in a 3–0 friendly defeat by the United States at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, under interim manager Tom O'Connor.[19][20] Walsh entered the match as a substitute for her fellow County Wicklow woman Louise Quinn.[21] She made a competitive substitute appearance in the opening UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifier against Montenegro, a 2–0 win at Tallaght Stadium on 3 September 2019.[19]

In April 2021, Walsh started her first game for Ireland, a 1–0 defeat by Belgium at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.[8]

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Republic of Ireland 2019 2 0
2021 1 0
2022 1 0
Total 4 0

Gaelic football

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After returning from University in the United States, Walsh played Ladies' Gaelic football for Wicklow GAA, competing in the Ladies' National Football League and All-Ireland Intermediate Ladies' Football Championship.[19] She decided to prioritise soccer in 2018.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Match Report Mex-IRL 0:0" (PDF). 2017 Summer Universiade. 18 August 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Claire Walsh | Republic of Ireland | UEFA Women's EURO". UEFA.com. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  3. ^ Claire Walsh at Soccerway. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  4. ^ "Claire Walsh". Extratime.com. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Claire Walsh". Central Connecticut State University. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  6. ^ Ryan, Andrew (27 March 2021). "A path less travelled: Kilbride, the US and now Peamount". Wicklow People. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  7. ^ Fallon, John (7 October 2019). "Claire Walsh happy to see Gleeson in Irish fold". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  8. ^ a b Duffy, Emma (3 July 2021). "Breakout Ireland star 'focusing on Peamount and loving it' as top-of-the-table clash 'just another game'". The42.ie. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  9. ^ "New England Mutiny Announce First Wave of Signings". New England Mutiny. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  10. ^ "New England Mutiny fall to the Breakers Reserves in WPSL East Final". Mass Live. Advance Publications. 19 July 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Claire Walsh #3 D". United Women's Soccer. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  12. ^ a b c "Walsh delighted with move to Peamount United". Wicklow People. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  13. ^ Galvin, Kevin (6 November 2017). "Cork City Women's side Shine at the Aviva". The Echo (Cork newspaper). Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Champions Peamount United lead way on Team of the Year". RTÉ Sport. 13 November 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Wexford Youths seal the treble thanks to Katrina Parrock's first-half winner". independent.
  16. ^ Leahy, Ed (3 November 2019). "Wexford Youths swing five-goal thriller to win FAI Cup" – via www.rte.ie.
  17. ^ Ryan, Andrew (10 July 2021). "Walsh off to Glasgow". Irish Independent. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  18. ^ Frith, Wilf (31 August 2017). "Colin Bell Names #IRLWNT Squad for All-Irish Clash". She Kicks. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  19. ^ a b c Hill, Bill (5 September 2019). "Claire Walsh – From A Wicklow LGFA Star To An Irish Women's International Star". Bill Hill Wicklow. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  20. ^ "World champions USA prove too strong for Ireland as victory tour kicks off". Irish Independent. 4 August 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  21. ^ "Flying the flag!". Bray People. 10 August 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
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