skip to main content

Katie McCabe looks back with pride on year of firsts

Updated / Monday, 18 Dec 2023 13:45
Katie McCabe had a 2023 to remember
Katie McCabe had a 2023 to remember

As end-of-year retrospectives go, there aren't too many that will contain a list of firsts as long as Katie McCabe's.

The Arsenal star became the first Republic of Ireland skipper to lead her country out at a FIFA Women's World Cup before notching the team's one and only goal Down Under in the second game against Canada.

The nature of that strike, direct from a corner kick, brought increased international interest in a footballer whose star had already been on the rise in this part of the world for some time.

Throw in a Women's Super League Goal of the Season award, a Ballon d'Or nomination and a place in the Women's Champions League Team of the Season, and McCabe could boast an entire selection box worth of proud moments to look back on this Christmas.

However, it's the adventure she shared with her team-mates at the World Cup in Australia that brings about that winning smile more than any other moment throughout the year.

"It was probably my proudest moment in an Ireland jersey, walking out for that Australia game in front of 81,000," McCabe told RTÉ Sport as she reflected on her golden year.

"My mam, my dad, my brother and my uncle up in the crowd, everyone watching back home, everyone in Sydney, it brings a smile to my face. It was such a lovely moment to share with everybody but to share it with those girls in the dressing room beforehand, during it and afterwards, you can't buy that feeling.

"It's just given us more energy to go on and do more and that's what we're trying to do with the Nations League and making sure we put ourselves in a good position to try and qualify for the Euros in 2025."

The historic meeting with hosts Australia in the tournament opener eventually ended in a 1-0 defeat for Ireland, a result which was followed up by a 2-1 loss to Canada in which McCabe scored her wondergoal, before Ireland earned their solitary point in the group by drawing 0-0 with a strong Nigeria side.

If we were to use a cliché, we'd say it was the stuff of dreams, but for the 28-year-old and other females of her generation, even to imagine being part of such occasions was too far-fetched.

"As a kid, I watched Ireland play in 2002," she recalls. "I was about seven and I had a Damien Duff jersey on. It's stuff you can't really dream about as a kid. You'd love to but there was never an opportunity for us to be able to do that and to say all those years on that I'd be doing that with my team-mates in Perth [against Canada], which felt like being in Dublin actually... the weather!

"But also, we stood in a line for Amhrán na bhFiann and that cheer after we finished the anthem was something that gives us all goosebumps thinking about it.

"It was so special. It really made us feel like we were home. I think it was a 20,000-seater stadium and 17,000 of them were Irish. You just see a sea of green.

"For me to be able to score and share that moment with my team-mates and the Irish fans in attendance that night was really special."

Despite the the disappointment of an early exit, the journey to the World Cup is an experience that McCabe holds dear.

"It was so difficult for us to get there, the journey we were on, we really felt at times we could have gotten more from those games," she says. "You're never satisfied leaving that early in a tournament. Of course, we picked up a point, we scored a goal but we don't want to just be happy and satisfied with that.

"We want more. I think when everyone had their time off, reflected back and we came back in with a new energy and new focus to make sure we wanted more and we were able to do that. I hope the fans can see that we want to score goals, we want to be exciting. We're not the finished article just yet, obviously we want to keep building off our performances."

That they have done, as Ireland have reeled off six Women's Nations League wins out of six since returning from the World Cup, a run of results which has led to promotion to League A in their inaugural campaign.

An unlikely dream come true: McCabe and her team-mates returned from the World Cup as heroes

As an individual, McCabe has been recognised in a number of ways throughout 2023, but she is always keen to reiterate that none of it could have happened without the help of her team-mates for club and country.

"It's been a fantastic year but I would not be able to achieve all that without my team-mates. Of course, it's so nice to receive those personal accolades but you don't get those without the work of your team-mates around you.

"I'll always give 100% whenever I'm wearing green or playing for Arsenal but I'm the lucky one because I get to learn and play with the best.

"I'm just constantly wanting to improve. I don't look back too much, I just look forward and see how I can improve on each performance I play and win games most importantly."

There may be no major international tournament in 2024 but with Arsenal going well in the Women's Super League and Ireland continuing their steady rise, McCabe's next retrospective could contain a few more magic moments.

More stories on

Read Next