Amber Barrett has opened up about her struggles in Germany and her relief at securing a move to Belgian side Standard Liege ahead of the World Cup.
The Hampden Park hero endured a torrid time at Turbine Potsdam after returning from Ireland's play-off win over Scotland last October.
She often found herself sidelined - and when she did play, she was utilised in an unfamiliar right-back role.
Barrett's attempts to talk to her coaches ended in frustration, while the season ended in relegation for one of Germany's most successful female outfits.
So she was thrilled to land a deal with Liege, who had been tracking her since December.
And she was delighted to hook up with another Donegal connection.
Former Bohemians and Finn Harps player Fergal Harkin was named as Standard's sporting director in May 2022, after a 12-year spell at Manchester City.
"It’s just been a really difficult season with Turbine Potsdam," said Barrett.
"They’re a very well known club in Germany, they were one of the best women’s teams there over the last 30, 40 years, but unfortunately things haven’t been going well for them and I think there’s a lot of stuff that has to improve there.
"Some coaches like you, some don’t, I don’t know what happened after I came back from my shoulder injury, I just couldn’t get into the team and I found that very difficult.
"There were weeks when I definitely felt I should have been getting more game time, but look, that’s my opinion, he had a different opinion.
"I just needed to get out because at the end of the day I need to be happy, I need to be playing football, and it doesn’t matter where you play, you have to be playing.
"I’m hoping now with the move to Belgium I’ll get back to enjoying the game and loving what I do."
Barrett spoke about the conversations she had with her Turbine coaches.
"I just didn’t seem to get any guidance with anything," she said.
"I’m very honest. If I haven’t been training well, if things haven’t been going my way, if it’s to do with someone else playing better I can fully understand.
"But there were definitely different things that went on that were a wee bit unfair on me, but again, that’s just my opinion, their opinion could be completely different.”
She admitted that her club woes did leave her worried about her prospects of making Pauw's squad.
The Girls on Green boots will name her 23-player panel on June 29 - and Barrett is taking nothing for granted.
"Running up to the preparation camp, not having been playing that much, of course that’s in the back of mind, I wouldn’t be human if it wasn’t," she said.
Barrett added: "I decided, before the World Cup especially, I needed to be playing somewhere.
"I spoke to Vera (Pauw) and she’s brilliant with me, very understanding from day one, and she just said ‘at the end of the day Amber, you have to get back to enjoying it’, so that’s my plan."
After the high of her World Cup play-off contribution, she admitted: "I definitely think this is the hardest six months I’ve ever had.
"It’s very difficult for me as someone who tries to think things quite straightforwardly, when things are happening that I can’t understand.
"People would say, ‘oh, you scored the goal that got Ireland to the World Cup’, but that didn’t matter to me when I went back to Germany and I was sitting on the bench every week and we were getting beaten.
"In that sense, it was really, really difficult, but what's important for me was to always have the conversations with Vera in the last few camps, she felt for me.
"I’m hoping now after the summer I can have a really good season in Belgium."
Barrett paid tribute to Ireland coach Pauw, saying: "Vera was reassuring, she understood my point of view.
"I told her a good few weeks ago that if I wasn’t playing, I wanted to still be coming in to camp really sharp, so me and Vera worked on a few things to manage the fact that I hadn’t been playing.
"And I think I’ve done that really well. It’s been good to have her on my side."
*****
Amber Barrett has won the FAI’s Goal of the Year, beating Nathan Collins and Michael Obafemi to the prize.
The Standard Liege striker netted the historic winner in Hampden Park to secure qualification to this summer’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand.
Reflecting on her goal, Barrett said: "I still think about it every few days, but I try to move on from it as well because we’re preparing for a World Cup now, but I was very lucky to have done it.
"It was a brilliant moment for everyone there, but I can’t hold myself to that one moment, you have to move on.
“Making the World Cup squad is the most important thing, and I want to be on that plane going to Australia. There's no guarantees for anybody.”
Barrett will receive the award at tonight’s ceremony in the Mansion House.
