DENISE O’SULLIVAN believes Ireland must keep calm and carry on to Euro 2025.
The Girls in Green are in Cardiff for tonight’s play-off first-leg against Wales, ahead of Tuesday’s Aviva Stadium return leg aiming to reach next year’s finals in Switzerland.
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The stakes are high, but North Carolina Courage star O’Sullivan reckons the key is staying cool on the big night.
And she believes the experience of winning a World Cup play-off two years ago against Scotland can help Ireland now.
She said: “We as players talk all the time about games, and the pressure of the game.
“We know it’s a lot of pressure but I think we’re more prepared than ever and we can handle that.
“We’ve all experience in these big games and emotions will be high. I think we’re more calm going into this game because we have that experience, really looking forward to it.
“We do have these little conversations. But I think the only conversations we’re having is how excited we are, how prepared we are for this game against Wales.”
But while O’Sullivan pointed to Ireland’s play-off experience, Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson insisted her team are a coming force.
Canadian Wilkinson took charge last year of a side that had been agonisingly close on several occasions to qualification, including the last World Cup.
But she believes the team are ready to go from play-off agony to play-off ecstasy now.
Wilkinson said: “Part of it is staying out of their way, this team is ready. I arrived in this role at the sprint end of a marathon.
“If I’m looking at these dreams…people on my staff who were at the beginning, know these women, and know their journey at the beginning which I don’t because I wasn’t here and what they achieved, to achieve something special would be something I’d never forget.
“The cherry on top would be watching this team qualify, it would be up there with the highlights in my career.”