Athlone Town's Kelly Brady has her passport "ready to go" if she gets a break with the Republic of Ireland as the striker aims to cap a brilliant campaign with Sports Direct FAI Cup final glory on Sunday.
Athlone are heavy favourites to get past Bohemians at Tallaght Stadium (3pm kick-off) and add the cup to the league title they clinched three weeks ago.
Brady's goals have been key to their succes; not just on the domestic front, but in Europe too, the midlanders making it to Round 2 of Champions League qualifying before dropping into the newly formed Europa Cup, where they lost against Glasgow City.
The 23-year-old US-born attacker has been capped for Ireland at Under-19 level. And while Brady was not included in Carla Ward's squad for the upcoming Nations League promotion/relegation play-off against Belgium, she has been invited into train with the players, along with Maria Reynolds of Shamrock Rovers.
"I’ve been under (Ward's) radar being top scorer and she’s watching more talent in the league," said Brady.
"I’m hopeful of getting the call and being ready. Carla came down to Athlone recently, keeping her eyes on us. I have my passport and ready to go. We’ll see when the call comes."
Brady is one of four Athlone Town stars nominated for the 2025 SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division Player of the Year.
Madi Gibson, Roisin Molloy, and Hannah Waesch are also in contention for the honour, alongside Treaty United midfielder Isabella Flocchini and Wexford attacker Ellen Molloy.
Brady took the Golden Boot award with 19 league goals in a spectacular debut season here, her decision to take the plunge and come to Ireland massively paying off.
"I was playing at the University of Mississippi and knew I wanted to go into a professional setting," she said when asked how the move came about last winter.
"My agent had connections in Ireland and mentioned Athlone. I did my research and saw they'd had great years so felt it was something I wanted to be part of.
"I came over last November to check it out and felt homely. This was somewhere I wanted to be. My dad is from Castleblaney in Co Monaghan and my mam's father is from Kinvara, Galway.
"I’d been both to parts and all around the country before, playing soccer and GAA. I’d no problems settling. Having a few Americans here helped. It’s never boring."
Athlone were denied the double last year when Shelbourne hammered them 6-1 in the cup final.
Anything that could go wrong did go wrong for Athlone that day, but they're arguably an even stronger side now, desperate to make more history by adding the FAI Cup to the league title.
"A couple of girls mentioned (last year's final) but it’s just background noise now," insisted Brady.
"We’ve another chance of winning the FAI Cup. Let’s put last year aside, prove everybody wrong by getting the job done.
"Everybody has super bought into this season and we have one more game left.
"Is it the first ever (double)? Wow. We just have to dig deep in the last game. After having such a great year, it will be nice looking back to see how much history we made for the league and club. We’re hungry for more."
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