Ruesha Littlejohn has some simple advice for the two newest faces in the Republic of Ireland squad: dedicate yourself to the cause.
Birmingham-born Aoife Mannion and Philadelphia native Marissa Sheva have been called up for this week's training camp in Marbella, ahead of a friendly against China on Wednesday.
Vera Pauw previously revealed that she'd received several message from players declaring their eligibility to play for Ireland following the Girls in Green's qualification for the World Cup. Inevitably, anyone coming into the camp now will have to put up with some suggestions they're jumping on the bandwagon, but Littlejohn is confident the fresh blood will help Ireland - as long they buy into the spirit of the team.
"Everyone knows Irish people are lovely and friendly, so everyone has welcomed everyone with open arms," said the Aston Villa midfielder, a native of Glasgow who qualifies for Ireland through her maternal grandparents.
"Obviously there are going to be questions here and there, but I think it's up to the girls to come in and they are going to prove that they want to play for Ireland, and they are going to give everything to be here, and we will respect them for that.
"Just dedicate yourself to Ireland. That's where your loyalties lie now, and I think everyone in the squad respects that and appreciates that.
"Obviously for myself, everyone knows I was born in Glasgow and that’s where I grew up and I spent my holidays at my nan’s house but I care for Ireland because I’d been to Ireland so often and I spent all my childhood summers, Christmas, Halloween, whatever it was there.
"So that’s why I chose to play for Ireland, but you’ve got to care for the country. I think there are a lot of people now who would play international football just to play international football but if you come into a team environment you’ve got to show you care, buy into the culture, learn about the history and I think everyone that plays for Ireland in the team will respect you. It's as simple as that really."
Ireland are ramping up preparations for a first appearance at a major finals in the summer when they will travel to Australia looking to add another chapter to what's been a remarkable journey.
They sealed their place at the finals with a nerve-shredding 1-0 against Scotland at Hampden Park last October, and Littlejohn admits the magnitude of the achievement is still sinking in.
"A few of us went for coffee yesterday and we were walking and we were just saying, 'we're actually going to the World Cup’. Obviously you are not there until you are there, your seat on the plane won’t be finalised until June or July, so we are a while away. You are not there until you are there.
"But it’s amazing what an achievement it is. How long it has taken us to get here, it’s been years, a long process, so we are absolutely delighted. It’s still a long way away, but everyone is working together and hopefully everyone stays fit and healthy, and we can all make that plane."
The friendly against an excellent China side is the latest step on the road to Oz as players scramble to catch Pauw's eye.
"I don’t know how many minutes I’ll get, I’m sure everyone is going to get a bit of game-time.
"At the end of the day, if we want to go and play at a World Cup we have got to compete against the top nations. It’s as simple as that. We’ve got to play against them.
"Obviously we are very good at our defensive duties, we are hard to break down and we are good at that. And then for us as a team going forward, we are looking at being better with the ball, trying to have a bit more possession.
"The only way to get better at that is by playing better teams, to try and get up to speed, so there is no intimidation. This is football and it’s great to test yourself against the big teams."
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