Megan Connolly more than ready to play her part in Ireland’s cause

Last time Megan Connolly pulled off a green shirt, and the adrenaline-rush left her body, she needed three days in the Mater to treat a lacerated kidney and two broken ribs.

The double dose happened in heroic fashion, just five minutes into the 1-0 win over Finland last September. Connolly somehow played the full 90, at centre back.

The Brighton midfielder needed 10 weeks to fully recuperate but, worst of all, she realised that her father, the College Corinthians coach Michael Connolly, morphs into George Hamilton during Ireland matches.

“Never again with my family, my goodness!” she says of watching the Hampden Park night at home in Cork.

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“To be fair, it was great to share the moment with them but my Dad is a bit of a commentator. To be fair, he is so invested. Biggest thing in our history. It was amazing to share it with my family.”

Connolly’s stint in hospital even delivered an iconic snap of her devouring Big Macs, on brand for Fifa’s World Cup partners.

“I must say it was quite a long day. I had been in the hospital since 9am or 10am and I don’t think I got a bed until eight o’clock that night, and with all the tests I had no food in me. So, I asked the doctor, Siobhán Forman, to go to whatever is closest and she came back with two burgers and three chips, I took whatever I could really. I was starving.”

Connolly survived but considering Shane Duffy’s near fatal kidney tear, suffered at an Irish training session in 2010, she was monitored beyond the norm.

“They were very cautious with me, just because of that. I couldn’t speak any more highly of them, they took really good care of me, as well as Siobhán, my doctor, how she handled it the next day, making sure I got everything I needed, was great.

“I was passing a bit of blood for four or five days after, just because of the nature of it. I think most of the pain went away two or three weeks in and then it was just a case of trying to get back on the pitch, really.”

The arrival of Aoife Mannion, via the English underage system, lessens the chance of Connolly operating in defence this year. Even if the move works, with a particularly solid display away to Sweden, midfield is where she can become a world class operator at this summer’s World Cup. Or not.

“Wherever Vera sees me, I will do my best,” she says.

Barring another injury, Connolly will make the 23-woman squad, to be named after the France friendly on July 6th but the arrival of Mannion, Marissa Sheva and Deborah-Anne De La Harpe – who all became Irish after qualification for the World Cup was secured – demands a delicate balance is struck this week in camp. Because the trio’s success will come at a cost to players who made the squad via more traditional routes.

“If they’re Irish, they have a right to come in and do their best and show Vera what they have. And for us, it’s important we just keep trying to build a team – whoever’s in, whoever’s not in, we just want to build that team on and off the pitch – work on things off the pitch, work on things on the pitch, and make it easy for people who come in and out.

“I do think this team is very welcoming to whoever comes in,” she adds.

“As I said, they have a right to be here, a right to showcase themselves, and at the end of the day, it’s Vera’s choice who she wants to bring on the plane. Everyone is relishing the competition, and just trying to do their best.”

Pauw is expected to add a fourth player born outside of Ireland to the squad in April with a natural goalscorer being an obvious target.

“They need to show themselves first,” said the manager, cryptically. “They have to have done a lot of work already and they need to be better than what we have already. There is only one potentially.”