Saturday, November 9, 2024

He’s a big guy – Irish ace on marking Evan Ferguson in her schoolboy footy days

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JESSIE Stapleton reflected on a schoolboy match where she marked Evan Ferguson while detailing her path in football.

The Dubliner was speaking after supplying a sublime assist to Kyra Carusa as Ireland sealed a 9-0 aggregate triumph over Georgia.

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The Girls in Green will next face Wales over two legs in a Euro 2025 play-off on November 29 and December 3Credit: @RTEsport
Evan Ferguson finally ended his near year-long goal drought for Brighton on Saturday

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Evan Ferguson finally ended his near year-long goal drought for Brighton on Saturday

In the RTE studio afterwards she was quizzed about one match-up from her days lining out in schoolboy football.

She said: “I was playing for Cherry Orchard in an All-Ireland final but I played the year up.

“And I ended up marking Evan Ferguson!”

RTE Sport presenter Marie Crowe then noted that ordinarily girls would’ve been playing with boys a year younger than them rather than a year older.

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She asked Stapleton what ‘the secret’ was to keeping the leading light of Irish men’s football quiet.

Laughing, the 19-year-old played down her efforts: “He’s a big guy!

“I don’t even know (what the secret was) as it was years ago, I couldn’t tell you.

“But I think back then we were all just footballers.

“No one had a big name or anything but fair play to him as he’s gone on to do amazing things. He’s a credit to himself.”

She was later asked about her career route up til now which has led to her joining West Ham – with her loaned out to Sunderland for this season after a similarly temporary stint at Reading last campaign.

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The versatile ace explained: “Yeah so I had a short spell at Shamrock Rovers – played U17s in the League of Ireland with them.

“Then I moved across the city to Shelbourne to play senior football there.

“That was the best two and a half years in Ireland, it was class.”

Often times Irish football fans hear tales of homesickness from male Irish footballers in their early days.

Crowe and Stapleton agreed it’s a similar issue in the women’s game with the bulk of the Ireland squad still plying their trade in England.

She recalled: “When I first moved over I got homesick.

“I remember there were a few nights where I was ringing home saying ‘I think I might have to come back’.

“But when you have the right people around you they remind you that it’s your dream and you’re over there for a reason.

“Now I’m absolutely loving it.”

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