The Atkinsons are a big family; there are ten of them in total [eight children and the parents].
Most of the clan congregated in the family home in Rush, north Co Dublin last week, waiting on news to break about the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup squad.
Two were absent. Izzy, the centre of all the attention, was at UCD to hear if she was in or out; while her dad was driving in to pick her up.
The West Ham winger hadn’t been part of the initial 31-player training camp squad, getting called late in as extra cover for Megan Campbell.
The confirmation that she had made it to the tournament in Australia and New Zealand was a joyous shockwave that rippled from the university campus all the way down to the Fingal coast.
"We were told we were going to have individual meetings between 1pm and 4pm," Atkinson recalls.
"I told them I was going to find out between that time. I called them at about 4pm… they were all standing there, all waiting. My mam was screaming, ran out on the road, my siblings were screaming around the house. My dad was on the way to collect me. He had to pull over the car. He said he was going to have a heart attack!
"They make it even more special for me.
"It was one of the best days of my life, and there’s only going to be better days to come. I can’t even say in words how good I am.
"My reaction… I was trying not to cry. We were all in the group together when we found out. It was so emotional. Everyone was just like, 'wow, this is really happening’."
Atkinson is a classic World Cup bolter. She first caught the eye at Shelbourne as a highly promising teenager, moving to Celtic in 2021. She scored the winner against Glasgow City in the Scottish Cup final a year later but was soon on the move again, heading south to the Hammers in the Women’s Super League.
Still only 21, Atkinson was not in many people’s predicted squads, purely because she hasn’t been massively involved in the Pauw reign.
She was handed a start in the friendly against Zambia and took her chance, delivering a confident, tactically astute display that led the manager to publicly praise her afterwards.
"We always said we all know Izzy has everything to be a super football player," said Pauw. "But tactically the penny had to drop. And the pressure of a World Cup brings that.
"She has a better insight now in her role and task, so that her physical attributes and her technical attributes are coming out so much more than ever before."
Pauw highlighted one instance where Atkinson held herself back from charging forward to conserve energy and be able to fulfil her defensive duties – a display of restraint in the heat of battle that hugely impressed the coaching team.
"As players we all bring something different," Atkinson adds. "I think what I bring is, I am very attacking. As a defending wing-back, I like to dribble, I like to go forward. I think that’s something different.
"That’s what I’ve always done.
"Vera is very prepared when it comes to training, very to the point, very detailed. You just get used to it really."
"I have a lot more to fight for now. It's reality now."
She’s crammed a lot into the last three years; the hopeful rookie that headed off to Scotland in 2019 is now seasoned professional footballer, ready to make her mark at the highest possible level.
"I’ve matured – finally! I’m more confident, I’m a lot more outgoing. I have a lot more to fight for now. It’s reality now.
"When I was a kid and I’d just moved to Celtic it was becoming a dream my first pro contract. Now, I’m at West Ham and I’m just going to keep giving myself more expectations and keep going for more and more."
Watch Republic of Ireland v France on Thursday night from 7.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to live commentary on an extended Game On with 2fm
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