It was a gentle nudge four years ago by former Finn Harps and Sligo Rovers defender Trevor Scanlon that set Ciara Grant on course for a potential place in Vera Pauw’s World Cup squad.
Grant was three years out of the game and fully immersed in her new life as a doctor when she bumped into her old Donegal centre of excellence coach.
“I met him in Donegal in 2019, we were watching a Donegal game,” said Grant, now vice-captain at Scottish side Hearts.
“He was like, ‘What age are you now?’.
“I said, ‘I’m 27’.
“He said, ‘Most footballers don’t peak ‘til they’re 29, so get back at it’.
“It was little things like that that sparked a little interest.”
Grant hung up her boots in 2016 after a spell with UCD Waves to complete her medical studies.
“When I graduated I had to do my internship, that was full-time work in the hospital,” she explained.
“I think I pushed myself to my limit in college trying to balance it all and then when I knew I was going to be starting full-time work I was like, ‘I just can’t…’.
“I’m the kind of person who likes to give my all to everything. At that stage it was just going to be too much.
“But honestly, getting back in, working with the FAI at an underage level as the cover team doctor, it sparked a huge interest in myself.”
And then there was the chat with Scanlon.
“I joined Sion Swifts in the Northern Irish League very much with the idea of, ‘let’s just go play and see how I get on’, and I loved it,” midfielder Grant continued.
“I took a lecturing post almost to get back to Dublin, to get a job that would allow me to play with Shelbourne and also give my body the best chance to get back to international level.
“When I went to watch a home-based session I was like, ‘yes I’m able to compete here’, but the game had taken that next step.
“For me to even get back into the squad I needed to be working in a job where I could do that.
“As soon as I got called into the Iceland camp in June I was like, ‘Okay I need to go full-time here if I want to compete to be an active member in this squad’.
“To think I’m working full-time as a professional footballer, to get paid to play this sport, to kick a ball, I have to sometimes pinch myself.”
Grant captained Ireland to their only other Women’s World Cup appearance - the 2010 Under-17 finals in Trinidad and Tobago.
Of the squad currently in the USA for the friendly double-header this Saturday and Tuesday, Denise O’Sullivan, Grace Moloney and Harriet Scott are also veterans of that campaign.
Grant would love to make it to another World Cup this summer.
“It's so competitive. There are probably around 35 players in contention and for the World Cup squad, there are just 23 players,” she acknowledged.
But having grabbed with both hands a second chance at a career in football, putting her life in medicine on-hold, Grant is determined to give it her all.
“When I kind of stepped away from football at the end of 2016, the start of 2017, that was me almost closing the door on my football career,” she said.
“I’ve spoken to people in their mid to late 30s who have maybe missed this opportunity, who would have done anything to play full-time football and the things I’m experiencing.
“So I have to be grateful and realistic about the situation as well. It’s been an amazing journey.
“Honestly, I do have to pinch myself on a Monday when I’m going into my recovery session, sitting in a sauna and doing these things when I used to work a 12-hour shift on a Monday.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind but I’m embracing the journey and any opportunities that come up I put myself out there and go for them.”
