Former USA World Cup winner Heather O'Reilly has said the FAI have a golden chance to nurture women's football in Ireland - and warned it's an opportunity they must use wisely.
O'Reilly came off the bench to help Shelbourne beat Athlone Town 2-0 in the EVOKE.ie FAI Cup final on Sunday afternoon, capping a short but fruitful period at the Reds.
The American made a shock move to Shels back in July when she came out of retirement to fulfil a career-long ambition of playing in the Champions League. She realised that dream with Noel King's team, scoring a memorable winner against Slovenia's ZNK Pomurje.
However once the European journey was ended by Icelandic outfit Valur, O'Reilly headed back to the States due to work and family commitments.
Last week she pulled on the red shirt again to help Shels get over the line in the league and the cup, and O'Reilly said she witnessed enough during her brief stay to recognise women's football is in an exciting place in Ireland.
"My takeaways are that the players here understand the game," she said.
"They are really technical players. I was impressed with the composure on the ball and the willingness to be brave and to keep the ball. I think I had in mind a little bit more of muddy, sloppy pitches, and a really physical game.
"But I came over and everyone was really passing it around. So I think the potential is huge for Ireland to have a really high-quality league and a high-quality national team.
"For me to be in a non-paying environment, where people have jobs and they practice at night, that's all new to me. So I have to sometimes remind myself that this is amateur, as in these players do it for the love of the game and they work in other jobs too.
"We would be used to having some frills, but there are no frills here. But the essence of the game is there and the quality is there. With some investment I think it could take off even higher.
"I’m going to keep an eye on what the plan is for the year ahead, whether the FAI really take advantage of their women’s team being in the World Cup. They have a really great opportunity, so I hope that they use it wisely."
O'Reilly knows all about performing on the biggest stage having played at World Cups and Olympic Games with the USA, as well as with Arsenal in the Women's Super League, in a highly distinguished career.
Expanding further on the potential impact of World Cup qualification for Ireland, and how best to maximise it, she said: "Really promote the team, promote the players. People love stars, they love fame. So promote some of these players.
"I know Katie McCabe gets elevated and Denise O’Sullivan too. These should be household names. Everybody’s television should be tuned in this summer. I think the foundation is there, I just hope they continue to chip away at it.
"And I hope these wonderful vibes and energy going into the Women's World Cup continue."
Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
