Athlone Town boss Ciaran Kilduff believes the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division is full of rising stars good enough to go straight into Eileen Gleeson's Republic of Ireland squad.
Former Ireland boss Vera Pauw tended to lean heavily on players based in England and the USA during her spell in charge, but successor Gleeson has looked to blood more young home-based footballers since taking the reins in September.
Peamount United teenagers Erin McLaughlin, Ellen Dolan and Freya Healy all got a taste of the national set-up during the UEFA Nations League campaign, with more experienced campaigners like Amber Barrett overlooked.
And Kilduff - who led Athlone to FAI Cup glory in November - expects that trend to continue.
"I think Eileen is constantly going to pick what she sees as the best team, and she has obviously had first-hand knowledge of the league," he told RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport.
"The level in Ireland now is getting higher and higher in the women's game... the players coming through are ready to play in the national setup.
"It was always the way even in the men's game, you got on that magic plane to England and then you played for Ireland.
"There's a lot of talent in this country that are more than capable of playing international football in my opinion at this moment in time."
Kilduff took over at Athlone in late June after Tommy Hewitt's departure. The three-time Premier Division title winner is still only 35 but he's taken to management like a duck to water, galvanising the midlanders who capped off a fine second half of the season by beating Shelbourne on penalties in the cup final.
He admitted there were other options on the table, but the stars aligned to lead the former Dundalk and Shels striker to Athlone. It's a decision he does not regret.
"I'd a couple of offers from men's League of Ireland jobs to take them over too," Kilduff said.
"The timing and the fit wasn't right for me geographically, I'm living in Kildare. I was picking my spot. I knew you could take a men's job early and do a bad job and that would be your last job. It never bothered me, women's or men's football - it was irrelevant. It was the right fit with the right group.
"I'm ambitious myself, and Athlone have given me everything. They gave me the opportunity, they appointed me. It has gone really well but look, the women's league was always something I had an eye on.
"I'm not going to lie to you and say I just landed in the role. I researched the role, I wanted that job when it came up and thankfully it went well."
