NIAMH Cotter has earned her place on the Ireland Women’s U19 squad, but she wants more.
The determined Bandon teen’s impressive form for Cork City FC Women’s team has opened the door to the international scene, and Cotter has grabbed this opportunity.
She featured twice for Ireland, including making her debut, in international friendlies against Belgium, and kicked on to win her spot in the Ireland squad for the European Women's U19 Championship qualifiers that saw the girls in green take on Bulgaria, Norway and Finland in Bulgaria.
‘I thought I did well when we played in Belgium and we went into another training day the Sunday we came back,’ Cotter explains.
‘My approach was to work hard and play well to give myself a chance of making the squad for the qualifiers, so it was a relief when I saw that I made the squad. The standard is so high, you really need to be at your best to get in.’
This has been a breakthrough season for 18-year-old Cotter. The highly-rated defender was named Cork City’s Women’s Young Player of the Year, was shortlisted for the League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division Young Player of the Year and has now broken into the Ireland U19 set-up. Hard work pays off.
‘I put in the hard work for City in pre-season, got my spot and then I did well enough to keep it. If you play well with your club, then people notice that and you get chances like I have,’ says the Coláiste na Toirbhrite Leaving Cert student who enjoys the challenge of raising her game to meet expectations. Bring on that challenge.
‘The standard of training with Ireland is so high – the tempo never drops, the ball moves so fast and you can’t afford to make a mistake. Everyone is at such a high level that you need to reach that standard or you won’t make the squad,’ she says.
Cotter won her first competitive cap in the 3-1 qualifier win against Finland. Ireland then beat Bulgaria 2-0, and Cotter was the first sub on in the 1-0 loss to Norway that saw Ireland finish second in this qualification group.
The Irish team now goes forward to the next stage of the qualifiers as second seeds in Group A6, with games to come against France, Serbia and Wales next April. Cotter and Co need to top that group to qualify for the U19 European Championships in Poland next summer.
‘You have to win your group as eight teams go through to the Euros,’ says Cotter who wants to win her place on the starting team.
‘Once you are in, you are not just happy with that. Anyone starting wants to keep their spot. Anyone on the bench wants to start. Anyone not on the squad is pushing to get on. This is really competitive. I’m happy to be in, but I want to push on and keep working and try to get into the starting team.
‘It was a positive to be trusted to come on in those games against Finland and Norway, and hopefully I can push on again.’
