They're the new kids on the block - but don’t call them the future of this Ireland team.
According to Vera Pauw, Jess Ziu and Abbie Larkin, with a combined age of just 37, are very much players for the present.
So we can expect to see plenty more from this dynamic young attacking duo as the Girls in Green edge closer and closer to their World Cup dream.
Shelbourne ace Larkin, on Monday night in Georgia, scored her first senior international goal at the age of just 17.
It came on the same night as Liverpool centre-half Niamh Fahey’s first strike. Fahey is twice Larkin’s age and has 100 caps on her teenage teammate.
Ringsend whizz-kid Larkin has more on her plate in this coming year than qualification for next year’s finals in Australia and New Zealand.
The World Cup, which kicks off in late July, takes place just weeks after Larkin finishes the Leaving Cert.
What a way that would be to celebrate the end of her schooldays!
In Monday’s 9-0 demolition of Georgia in Gori, Larkin sprang from the bench to score Ireland’s eighth, when she combined with her Tolka Park teammate Ziu (20).
The pair had boss Pauw purring afterwards.
“They play not for the future but because they are the best options for now in that position,” said the Ireland manager.
“Amber (Barrett) tried and tried and did well but we needed more mobility and Abbie was fantastic.
“Jess was linking up well and we didn’t want to change her.
“Every player is there because of their quality, not their age or experience.”
Larkin and Ziu are part of a growing youth division within the senior set-up, with Jessie Stapleton (17) and Eabha O’Mahony (20) also in the squad that travelled to Georgia.
Aoibheann and Ellen Molloy (both 18) missed out as it was their turn this year to sit their Leaving Cert exams.
It’s no surprise that the two pals, Larkin and Ziu, roomed together during the 10-day training camp in Turkey and the two nights in Georgia.
“I’m delighted to get the assist for her first goal,” said Ziu of her Shels teammate’s classy header.
“It was also my first ever assist too for Ireland, so it meant a lot to me.
“I think we’ve been working on that one at Shels a lot, our link-up play, and thankfully it came off tonight for the national team.
“Hopefully there will be more link-ups like that in the future.
“I’m absolutely delighted for Larko to get her first goal. She’s my roomie in camp and we’re always talking about it - what it would be like to get our first goal.
“She beat me to me. I’m 20 now, she’s three years younger than me and she has beaten me to it.
“But I think she has way more to come too in the future.”
Larkin too was thrilled that it was Ziu’s brilliant headed assist that teed her up.
“That even made it better, to be fair,” she said. “I knew she was going to set it back to me, so I was, like, I’ll pop this in.
“We were talking about it. She’s my best mate in the camp. To get the assist from her means a lot.”
Larkin admitted that she didn’t know how to react to seeing the ball hit the back of the net.
“I was very shocked. I got a weird shock feeling or something, but I was very happy,” she said.
“I did no celebration. I should have done a really good celebration for my first goal, but I just had my hand up in the air with a big smile on my face.
“Seeing Denise (O’Sullivan) and Katie (McCabe) there, I was like, Oh my God.”
Larkin and Ziu won’t be together at Shelbourne for much longer, as Ziu is on her way to Women’s Super League side West Ham this summer.
“Ah yeah, I’ll miss her. Sure she’s off to West Ham now, she’s leaving me,” said the younger of this thrilling attacking pair.
“I wish her the best of luck. She’ll be brilliant over there. She’s got a big future.”
And what about Larkin?
“Hopefully I can join her some day - in a year or two maybe. I’ll just keep working hard,” she replied.
“Obviously you have to work hard to get into this team first. I’m still young, so I’ve a lot of developing to do.”
From the talk in the dressing room area after Monday night’s win in Gori, they’ll both continue their development under the watchful eye of Ireland boss Pauw.
She sees the two youngsters as very much for the present.
Ziu believes there is lots to come from her pal Larkin.
“Age is just a number,” she said. “They say if you are good enough, you are old enough. And I think she showed that when she came on.”
