Lisa Fallon admits that's she frustrated about how her time with the London City Lionesses came to an end, but she says she can't wait to get going alongside John Caulfield at Galway United.
The Dubliner was appointed as head coach at the English Championship club in May, moving from an analysis role with Chelsea.
But her time with the Lionesses only lasted five months after the restrictions imposed during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic made it impractical for Fallon to keep travelling between her home in Dublin and her work across the Irish Sea.
"It was," she admits when asked on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast whether it was difficult to come home after taking up the job.
"I was fully committed to it and I knew the potential that was there. I had worked a long time to get that opportunity and I felt genuinely ready for it.
"But with the Covid situation, trying to commute over and back from London with my family here - and I have some vulnerable members in my family - I just felt the commuting was putting both environments at risk of picking it up.
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"The other part of it was that if there was a lockdown imminent I couldn't be locked down in London away from my children and my family.
"Similarly, I couldn't be locked down in Dublin away from the team.
"There did come a point where it was inevitable that the next lockdown was going to happen and I had to emotionally detach myself from the situation and just make the right decision.
"And the right decision at that time was to come home and be with my family during these unprecedented times.
"I always felt that it was the one that got away but I was confident that I would get another opportunity. I just had to sit tight and bide my time and focus on my family.
"Obviously, we're still in this situation, but being based here in Ireland makes a huge difference.
"This opportunity now (with Galway) I'm certainly focused on it and I'm going to give it everything I have."
Fallon hasn't been idle for long and she recently became the first woman to be appointed as a first-team coach at Galway when Caulfield brought her into his set-up in the west.
The Tribesmen were transformed by the arrival of the former Cork double-winning manager towards the end of last season and very nearly gained promotion to the top flight.
They ultimately lost in the First Division play-off final to Longford Town, who would go on to beat Shelbourne in the promotion/relegation decider, but Fallon says the potential is there to go one step further this season.
"I'm really excited and really looking forward to it," she said.
"It's a great club with massive potential. I've worked with John Caulfield before and I know the type of manager that he is and the standards he demands.
"It's a really good time at the club. They came so close (to promotion last season) and when John went in he brought them on an unbelievable run.
"It's a new squad and it's a really good opportunity to try to build something and drive things on.
"The First Division is going to be so competitive this year.
"You look at Shels - they're potentially stronger this year than they were last year (when they were in the Premier Division) with the recruitment they've done.
"All we can do is focus on ourselves and get the team gelled together, get the culture going, and just be prepared for the first game when it comes around."
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