Katie McCarn has said that knowing Carla Ward ‘is watching’ will cause ‘everyone to up their game’ in the League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division this season. 

McCarn was speaking after three domestic based players were called up to the national team in the last window alone by Carla Ward. The Wexford FC starlet spoke exclusively to the The Halfway Line recently about life in Wexford, that goal against Shelbourne and her football inspirations on and off the island of Ireland.

‘Everyone will now up their game’ knowing Ward is watching says Katie McCarn

Recently Ireland head coach Carla Ward called up Aoibhe Brennan from Katie McCarn’s former club Bohemians to the senior set up. That was shortly followed by call ups for Aoibheann Clancy and Maria Reynolds from Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers respectively. Firstly, McCarn delighted in Brennan’s call up,*

“Yeah, look, it’s brilliant for the league” McCarn said. “Obviously, Aoibhe is an unreal talent. I’ve played with her, she’s unbelievable, I have to say.

“So like, credits due to her so, like, hopefully she goes in and does really well. Like, you know, well, obviously then you do be thinking maybe she [Carla Ward] is watching.

“And I think everyone will now up their game. I think that might only make the league better as well, if everyone’s on top form every week. So I think it’s just a really good thing.”

*McCarn was speaking prior to the injury that ruled Brennan out.

McCarn ‘looked up to’ Noelle Murray, Alex Kavanagh & Kate Mooney in her early days

McCarn took The Halfway Line all the way back to the beginnings of her footballing career, before even her move to Shelbourne, how did McCarn get started?

“My dad just took me down locally” McCarn explained. “I was just playing whatever it was under five boys and girls, and kept going up at my local club till I was about 11.

“I’d known of a few people who’d gone to Dublin so then my mam started looking into it, and she brought me up the Shels. Then from 11 until what was I? 18,19 so I had my good few years there nearly 10 years. Yeah, so it was good and obviously, when you start off in an academy, you want to be playing for the senior team.

“I got there, so that’s great. I don’t think it worked out the way I wanted it to. But, I mean, I’m still delighted with myself that I got there, because obviously, Shels, it’s a big club, and to be a part of the senior team was great, you know.”

McCarn spoke about her inspiration in football, from those early days at Shelbourne till now,

“I’ve never really thought about it” McCarn candidly admitted. “I’d say maybe like Alessia Russo. She’s unreal. Obviously, goal scorer and who doesn’t want to score goals?” McCarn said with a cheeky grin.

“She’s definitely up there” McCarn said. “I don’t really know. I think obviously, then when I was younger, I would look up to the people in my club, like the Shelbourne seniors.

“Obviously you’d have Noelle [Murray], Alex [Kavanagh] and Kate Mooney, you know, brilliant players. So when I was younger, I would have looked up to them.”

Katie McCarn delights in Wexford side ‘gelling’ together

This winter, McCarn took the brave step to leave Dublin and go out into the country, joining Wexford FC. The Halfway Line asked McCarn how she was finding life in the Model County,

“I’m finding it really good” McCarn said. “It’s a bit of a change for me, obviously, down the country from what I’m used to. But the team is really good. Like all the girls have been so welcoming, and I think we’re doing really well in training, and we just need to bring it on to the weekend.

“Now, you know, just little by little but I think we’ve been really good so far in parts but we just need to be good as a whole now I would say.

“I think we are gelling. We just maybe need to push on that little bit more, and just, we just need to do better as a team and I think we’re on the route to do that, because off the pitch, we’re just brilliant, to be fair, we’re a great group, and it’s just been really fun so far.

“Off the pitch, everyone’s just lovely, everyone gets along. I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t like anyone, you know what I mean? So it’s just great. It’s just good vibes and training and stuff, which is what you want.”

A big draw for the move to Wexford will have been the influence of Dave Connell, the former Ireland WNT U19s head coach, who recently took the reigns at the club. The Halfway Line asked McCarn how much she has relished working with Connell again this time at Ferrycarrig Park,

“I think Dave’s a brilliant manager” McCarn said. “Obviously he has a lot of international experience, so he’s just bringing that in, and the training has been great. It’s been really good, yeah.”

Victory at Shels is ‘probably my favourite’ moment last term says McCarn

Last season Bohemians had a number of highs, one such moment came when they travelled to Shelbourne, whom they had never beaten in the league and had also lost 7-2 against months earlier.

However the Dublin side masterminded victory on the day, with McCarn, a former Shelbourne player herself scoring a sensational winning goal. The Halfway Line asked McCarn if that was her favourite moment of last term,

“I think just in the moment they mean the most” McCarn explained. “Then afterwards, obviously, people talk about them and stuff, but I think after a day or two, then they’re gone, and it’s just, it’s not really spoken about.

“I’d say the one against Shels is probably my favourite. Just, I think it was just a great day all together.”

Watch Katie McCarn’s Wexford face Athlone

The Saturday Wexford travel to reigning champions Athlone Town and you can watch the match live on LOITV with kick off at 6pm.