Jessie Stapleton has said that she wants to bring a ‘fighting Irish mentality’ to her club side, and thinks the growing Irish contingent at Leicester can provide it.
It has been a mixed start to the season at Leicester but Stapleton has been one of the bright sparks at the club. The former Cherry Orchard star now heads to international camp to help ensure Ireland can make back to back World Cups.
Stapleton was speaking ahead of Ireland’s FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan in Astana on Friday.
Jessie Stapleton excited to ‘showcase how good we are’ in Astana
The trip is already a first for Stapleton, as she admits “I don’t think I’ve been on a ten hour flight.” That isn’t the only part of the trip which is somewhat novel to the team, at least in 2026, they are favourites against Kazakhstan on Friday rather than the underdogs tag they have thrived on. The Halfway Line put that to Stapleton,
“Obviously Ireland are normally known as the underdogs” She said. “This time around we’re probably not but I think you can see from our past couple of games, we’ve sort of progressed so much in the last year or so where you get on the ball a lot more and I think we have all the players and the ability to do so.
“Going into the Kazakhstan game, I think we can just showcase how good we are on the ball and I fully believe that we have all the players in the squad to do so.”
Stapleton delights in calling Leicester ‘home’
In the summer Stapleton moved from West Ham to Leicester City, her first permanent move since arriving in the UK form Ireland after a slew of loan moves. The Halfway Line asked Stapleton how she is settling into life in the East Midlands,
“Yeah, it’s been absolutely brilliant” Stapleton beamed. “I think a big thing for me was finally finding a club that I could call home rather than being out on loan spells.
“Obviously I’m getting a lot of game time. I’m able to show some different qualities that you can’t really showcase when you’re on loan because you don’t feel as part of a club and stuff like that but yeah, it’s been good.
“Obviously Leicester, we’re in a building process right now and our past couple of results haven’t been the best, but I think it’s a work in process and we definitely have the squad to go on and do good things.”
‘Fighting Irish mentality’ can help Leicester insists Stapleton
There are now four Irish players at Leicester City with Heather Payne, Katie Keane and Jess Ziu also hoping to help the club back to the Barclays Women’s Super League this term. Stapleton continued to explain how the Irish contingent have helped her to settle in.
“I think as an Irish player, it’s so good when you go into a new team and you have friendly faces” Stapleton thoughtfully replied. “They made it so much easier for me to settle in and help me around the area and make new friends on the team.
“But I think with Leicester as a club, they need a few characters with that fighting Irish mentality, and I think that’s helping the club get back to a good place. But yeah, the girls have been absolutely brilliant to me so.
“The fans have been brilliant. I think during the summer when I was speaking to the likes of Katie [Keane] and Heather [Payne], they let me know that the fans are good.
“Obviously Katie Keane is one of the fan favourites there as well. It’s good to have the backing of the fans when the club has come down from the WSL and they’re still there supporting us. So yeah, it’s been massive and it’s been brilliant.”
Jessie Stapleton lauds ‘brilliant’ Jess Ziu
Jessie Stapleton was announced as a new signing for Leicester City just a couple of hours before her international team-mate, Jess Ziu, was.
The pair have had almost identical journeys with Shelbourne and West Ham both a part of their history. That fact was pointed out to Stapleton,
“I know, I can’t get away from her!” Stapleton said with a knowing laugh. “No, Jess Ziu, she’s a brilliant girl. Obviously, she had a tough run with injuries, but to see her now in training every single day, obviously injury-free, touch wood but she’s been brilliant.
“You can see her abilities coming back, her confidence is coming back, and she’s been so good on the pitch for Leicester, but also off the pitch. It’s been brilliant to have her in the changing room, and she’s a good character to have around for all the other girls as well.”
