Ellen Molloy says she won’t give up on her World Cup dream, as her recovery from a cruciate ligament injury gathers pace.
The Wexford Youths and Ireland youngster suffered the set-back against Treaty United late last September, just two weeks before Ireland’s play-off win against Scotland in Hampden Park.
But she expects to be playing again this summer - either in June or July - which could put her in the frame for the finals in Australia and New Zealand.
“Definitely the second half of the season,” she replied, when asked when she was due to return.
“I don’t want to put a definite date on it, I don’t want to get my hopes up and I don’t want to rush it either.
“So I’m hoping maybe June or July. The second half of the season anyway.”
As for the World Cup, she said: “I haven’t given up myself.
“I’m just going to do everything I can, but every girl in the country is going to do everything they can, so we’ll just wait and see.
“I don’t want to rush it, I don’t want to go through this again. When I’m back, hopefully I’m back for good.”
Molloy had to watch on as Ireland sealed qualification with a famous Hampden Park play-off win against Scotland in October.
Having featured the previous month against Slovakia, it was a bittersweet night for the 18-year-old.
“It was a weird moment, it (the injury) was still quite fresh,” she said, at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the first ever Ireland women's international, against Wales in 1973.
“I think it was two or three weeks after I tore my ACL that they qualified.
“I was in the game before to get to the play-offs. Obviously I was delighted.
“It was hard to explain the feeling because it was, ‘Arg, I could have been there’.
“But you know I’m delighted whether I’m there or not, it’s still such a massive privilege to be such a small part of it.”
Capped six times now at senior level, Molloy is comforted by the fact that senior boss Vera Pauw keeps in contact with her.
Pauw is in Dublin this morning to name her squad for the friendly double-header against the USA next month - games that will come far too soon for the Wexford Youths midfielder.
“Vera is in touch every now and again to keep up with my progress,” said Molloy.
“She is just asking me how I’m getting on, and I say I’m doing good. That’s all I can say, I’m not going to force myself into the team.
“I’m just going to stay quietly doing what I can. If I’m ready (in time for the World Cup) and if she sees that, we’ll just wait and see what happens.
“I just tell her the truth of what stage I’m at in my rehab. It’s good that she’s keeping in touch.”
Her injury will rob her of almost a year of her career, as well as a possible place in Ireland’s first World Cup adventure.
However, Molloy has courageously turned her misfortune into a potential life-changing event.
“For the first few months it was almost like a loss of identity,” she said.
“It kind of put things into perspective as well, you are not going to play soccer forever, so what are you going to do afterwards?
“I was in college (UCD) doing radiography and when I got injured I realised I didn’t want to do that. Teaching was what I wanted to do.
“So, I took the year out and I’m working and rehabbing, and dedicating the year to my knee.
“Some people say it was a blessing in disguise. I don’t know really, but I’m going to hopefully go back next year and do PE and maths teaching. My first choice is DCU.”
Her family and friends weren’t convinced at first that she was doing the right thing.
“Initially they just thought it was my knee. Yeah, they were saying ‘Are you sure, are you sure?’ But I was fairly dead set on it,” said Molloy.
“And there are times when I am like, ‘I wish I was in college’.
“But I never regret… like, I know it’s teaching that I want to do and I never regret dropping out of the course. I just wish I knew sooner.”
Molloy has been playing senior football since the age of 16 and has long been considered a leading prospect for a move to England.
While her dream is to turn professional, she insists there is no rush.
“I’m not going to just neglect my education to try and go professional,” she said.
“If I was in the middle of studying and an opportunity came up, I’d think about it. It’s definitely a dream of mine to go to England. When it happens, I don’t know.
“If I get injured again, I can’t not have a back-up plan. It’s definitely on the cards, a dream and a goal of mine to go to England and play professional football.
“But at the same time, I do value education.”
She also values the assistance from friends and teammates who have been through similar recoveries to hers.
“Chloe (Mustaki) messaged me,” she said. “Unfortunately at Wexford we have loads of people to bounce off - Rianna (Jarrett) obviously, Edel (Kennedy), Della (Doherty) as well, she is a few months behind me.
“It’s just good to be able to bounce off each other, if we need a little bit of a lift.
“It’s my first long-term injury. I’ve never had anything more than two or three weeks before.”
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As part of the 50-year anniversary celebrations of the Ireland Women’s National Team, the FAI has committed to honour all players who have represented the nation at senior women’s level.
Every player who featured for the senior team in an official game will receive a one-off commemorative cap that will feature a unique 50-Year crest.
Another event to mark the anniversary will see a reunion of the first ever team, who beat Wales 3-2 on May 13 1973, and the first team to play a home game, where Ireland secured a 4-1 win over Northern Ireland on June 30 of that year.
The players involved in both games will be invited to an event in early May and will also be special guests in Tallaght Stadium on July 6 when the current Ireland team take on France in their send-off game before departing for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.
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