Ireland striker swaps pitch for classroom ahead of Nations League finale

A week on from her soaking in Shkoder, where she played in Ireland’s promotion-clinching win over Albania, Erin McLaughlin is back in the classroom.

The Peamount United youngster has just embarked on a three-week placement at Presentation Girls’ School in Maynooth, just down the road from the University where she is in year three of a four-year Primary Teaching course.

While it’s her turn now to dish out the lessons, this past year has been a real education for the Donegal native, who made her senior Ireland debut against Zambia in June.

Faced with the disappointment of failing to make the cut for the World Cup, she bounced back and won caps two and three in the recent Nations League double-header against Albania.

Her first senior start came in Shkoder, in conditions that not even her north Donegal upbringing could prepare her for.

“I played all my football growing up in Malin Head and I thought that was the worst, but Albania definitely topped it off,” said McLaughlin.

“It was the most bizarre game I was ever a part of. But in the end the three points were all that mattered.”

But perhaps the biggest education of all was at club level, where Peamount United defied the odds and most of the pundits’ pre-season predictions by racing away with the Women’s Premier Division title.

Few fancied them to add to their three previous titles, especially with the departures of key players such as Áine O’Gorman and Stephanie Roche to newcomers Shamrock Rovers.

Yet they did so with two games to spare - and will receive the trophy this Saturday after their final game of the campaign at home to Sligo Rovers (4.30pm - live on TG4).

McLaughlin said: “This is the first (title win) I’ve experienced, but talking to the older girls, the likes of Karen Duggan and Niamh Reid-Burke, they have all said this has been the most special.

“The obstacles we have overcome this year, especially with the pre-season we had and everything going on behind the scenes, not just the football, and all the comments made, it all fed into the motivation for the year.

“I think to come out as winners was the ending we always wanted.”

The belief that they could win their first title since 2020, McLaughlin insisted, was there right from the start of the year.

“Coming into this season there was just something different in the mindset,” she said.

“Maybe it was because all the odds were against us and maybe it was because people were writing us off and we were going in as underdogs, but it was such a special group to be a part of.

“It’s incredible, this is a great journey that we are on. Hopefully we can keep pushing now.”

She pinpointed the win away to Shamrock Rovers just before the 10-week summer break as the key result - and she hailed the role of new skipper Duggan.

“The experience that Karen Duggan has is next to none,” said the 20-year-old. “As soon as I came to this club she was someone I looked up to straight away.

“This is her first year being captain and you’d think she was doing it for years. It’s not just on the pitch, it’s off the pitch as well.

“It’s nearly like having a manager on the pitch; she keeps everything on-board and on-track. When things are getting a bit negative, she keeps everyone positive.

“Then off the pitch she just takes care of everyone. If anyone needs anything, Karen will help you. It makes such a difference to the team and the bond that we have this year is down a lot to Karen.”

Unlike some of her teammates, McLaughlin won’t get to put her feet up straight away after the Sligo Rovers game.

Her three weeks in Presentation Girls’ School will take her right up to the next international window, where she plans to once again to be involved as Ireland wrap up their Nations League campaign at home to Hungary and away to Northern Ireland.

“I’m hoping to be a part of that,” she said, “so there’ll be no rest anytime soon.”