Jessie Stapleton: ‘You can always resit the Leaving Cert – you can’t resit a World Cup’

If her wildest dreams were to come true this summer and she made it into the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup squad, Jessie Stapleton would have a bit of a time-management challenge on her hands in terms of her build-up to the tournament, what with the small matter of June’s Leaving Certificate also in her schedule.

But, she says with a chuckle, “you can always resit the Leaving Cert – you can’t resit a World Cup”.

Having only turned 18 last month, and with just 45 minutes of senior international football to her name so far, the odds – for now – are against the Shelbourne player making it into that squad.

While she is the ultimate all-rounder, capable of playing in defence, midfield and up front, the indications are that manager Vera Pauw sees her as a centre back, with the emergence of Aoife Mannion likely to reduce further the number of slots in that position up for grabs.

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My generation is blessed with these opportunities, this has always been a massive dream of mine, as it gets closer it gets more exciting

But the Irish under-19 captain, who made her senior debut against the Philippines last summer, having been first called up for the squad by Pauw when she was just 16, isn’t afraid to dream big. “I just have to keep working hard, keep doing what made Vera pick me for my first camp, put in good performances each week and hopefully I’ll get my place.”

Whatever happens on the international front, it will be a momentous year for the teenager club-wise, with her outstanding form for Shelbourne last season, when she played no small part in them winning the double, earning her a move to West Ham in the English Super League, one she will complete later in the year.

She’s keen to park that move for now, with her sole commitment to Shelbourne, who will open the defence of their title, and their quest for a three-in-a-row, on Saturday at home to Cork City on the opening weekend of the new SSE Airtricity season.

Still, she can’t hide her excitement at the prospect of playing full-time in the Super League.

“I think I came into football at a lucky time, when I was young I could look at it as a job. A few years ago, if a little girl was to say she wanted to become a full-time footballer, she’d be told women can’t really make a living from the game. But my generation is blessed with these opportunities, this has always been a massive dream of mine, as it gets closer it gets more exciting.”

Note where the newly turned 18 year old says “when I was young”.

“Well, I’m the youngest player to have been around a long time,” she laughs. “Kinger [Shelbourne manager Noel King] used to slag me, he said I was the oldest 17 year old ever.”

Well, considering she was just 13 when Pauw’s predecessor Colin Bell called her up for a home-based senior training camp, she is, after all, a veteran.

Her haul of medals and awards thus far, including the league’s young player of the year award last season, as well as the under-19 international player of the year gong, has created domestic challenges – “my ma’s going to kill me with all the dust” – but are a fair indication of her status as one of the country’s finest young talents.

Her impending loss to Shelbourne will be just the latest in a conveyor belt of departures from the club over the past few seasons, with senior internationals Emily Whelan, Jess Ziu, Izzy Atkinson, Jamie Finn, Chloe Mustaki, Saoirse Noonan and Ciara Grant all having left for English and Scottish clubs.

That’s what Shels have always done well, we’ve always lost top players but we just regroup and knit together again

And ahead of the new season, Shamrock Rovers, who have re-entered the league nine years after having dropped out, have used their financial muscle in the wake of the introduction of professional contracts to cherry-pick some of the league’s biggest names – including six players from Shelbourne, among them World Cup squad contender Abbie Larkin.

“But I think with Rovers coming into the League, there are always going to be girls wanting a new opportunity and a new challenge, if they think that’s best for them, you just wish them the best,” says Stapleton.

“But yeah, Shels are used to this, even last season we lost four of our starting 11. It’s obviously hard for a week or two, but whoever’s left, you just come together as a team and try to fill the gap they’ve left. That’s what Shels have always done well, we’ve always lost top players but we just regroup and knit together again.”

To fill those gaps, King has brought in former Shelbourne player Siobhán Killeen, who was busy winning three All-Ireland medals with Dublin over the past five years, as well as some American recruits.

“It’s starting to become a nice tight-knit group,” says Stapleton. “They’re a great group of girls that we got in, they’re very talented and we’re already gelling together. We’ve coped with losing players before, we’ll cope again.”