Hayley Nolan would be entitled to assume that if it wasn’t for bad luck, she’d have no luck at all. On both the club and international front.
A quick recap. Five years ago, the former Peamount United player left the University of Hartford in the United States with an MBA in finance. She headed for England with an ambition to play in the Women’s Super League (WSL).
Twice she came agonisingly close with London City Lionesses, just missing out on promotion, before finally making it with Crystal Palace. Then she injured her shoulder in preseason and was out until Christmas. Following on from this, she picked up another injury in February and missed over half the campaign in all – having played every minute of the previous two seasons. Palace were relegated in April and replaced by . . . London City Lionesses.
“I know it’s part and parcel of being a footballer, but when you work so hard to get an opportunity to play in the WSL . . . I think it’s fair to say I didn’t have the best of luck,” she says.
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On the international front? After playing all through the underage ranks, she was given her first Ireland senior call-up by Vera Pauw in 2019. Since then, she has won three caps, the last against the United States in 2023. All the while, she saw herself fall further down the pecking order when three fellow defenders – Aoife Mannion, Caitlin Hayes and Anna Patten – declared for Ireland.
“I was disappointed not to be called in during that time, but you just have to put your head down and do what you can do at club level,” she says. “The dream for me has always been about pulling on the Irish shirt, there is no better feeling.
“It has been a really difficult time, especially when you have massive ambitions to help Palace and Ireland, but I am fit and healthy now and looking forward to showcasing what I can do.”
Nolan featured in Eileen Gleeson’s first three squads as national team boss. However, she didn’t play and was omitted thereafter. Her first call-up by current Ireland manager Carla Ward is, then, a boost after a trying time. While Ward has a wealth of defensive options, the retirements of Niamh Fahey, Louise Quinn and Diane Caldwell could open the door for the 28-year-old from Johnstown, Co Kildare.
She added: “Those girls were tremendous for Ireland but, yeah, it is a massive opportunity for me now and I need to go out there and take it. I’m definitely confident. I know my strengths and what I can offer. My last cap was against the USA, so this feels like a full-circle moment. I’m really excited to be back in.”
Two of her Palace teammates from last season, Abbie Larkin and Izzy Atkinson, are also in the squad for the friendlies against the US in Denver and Cincinnati on Friday and Sunday. Atkinson was released by the club earlier this month following a season of limited playing opportunities.
“I am smiling because I love those girls, they both have so much talent,” says Nolan. “It’s been great to have had them at Palace the last 18 months; wonderful for me. It’s been like a taste of home. They’re always in good spirits and I’m hopeful I’ve been a good mentor to them.
“Izzy’s a tremendous talent, there are a lot of possibilities there for her. She had a great time when she first came to Palace and helped us get promoted. I’m really looking forward to seeing where her future takes her.”
The matches against the US represent something of a shop window for Atkinson and a chance for Nolan to show Ward what she’s been missing. After four weeks off, she’s refreshed and ready for the challenge. Not that she chose the most relaxing of breaks.
“We had a family holiday on the Camino de Santiago – we did about 20km a day,” she says. “I absolutely loved it; it was good craic.”
That might be the first time “20km a day” and “good craic” were spoken in the same breath.
