By Dave Donnelly
PEAMOUNT United striker Eleanor Ryan Doyle says she needs to keep her head down and let her performances do the talking as she presses the case for a senior international call-up.
The Lucan native has the world at her feet as she prepares to finish a masters in business this summer while leading the goalscoring charts on the domestic front.
Ryan Doyle already has two league winners medals in her pocket, and the Newcastle side look odds-on to become the first side to win three in a row in the National League’s ten-year history.
The 22-year-old scored both Peas’ goals against DLR Waves as the champions extended their lead at the top of the table to three points, while Ryan Doyle moved top of the goalscoring charts with six from seven.
With Ireland assistant manager Eileen Gleeson watching from the stands, Ryan Doyle netted a diving header early doors before wrapping up the win from the penalty spot after the break.
The opener came courtesy of a cross from 107-times-capped O’Gorman, who has pipped the free-scoring Ryan Doyle to the top scorer gong in the last couple of seasons.
Both players have been present in Vera Pauw’s home-based squads over the past couple of months, and Ryan Doyle’s prolific form in front of goal won’t have gone unnoticed.0
“I need to do well in my performances as well as being on the goalsheet, but if the performances come, I might get a call-up,” Ryan Doyle tells the Dublin Gazette.
“I just need to keep working hard and playing well before I even look at getting up getting into any of them teams.”
Covid has put a halt to the majority of sport on the island for the past 15 months but an exemption for elite sport has meant the best footballers in the country have been able to ply their trade.
Outstanding
An outstanding season for defender Niamh Farrelly, as James O’Callaghan’s side clinched a league and cup double, saw the then-21-year-old earn a pro deal with Glasgow City in Scotland.
A second league title in as many years means Peamount will again contest the Champions League in August, where they could face anyone from Juventus to Katie McCabe’s Arsenal.
The draw for the first round takes place on June 21, and Peamount will be confident having only been edged out on penalties by pro side Glasgow City in Scotland last year.
Progress has been made on the domestic front as players are no longer forced to raise their own subscriptions to play at the top level but, presently, only one WNL offer compensation to players
Rianna Jarrett and Leanne Kiernan, formerly of Wexford Youths and Shelbourne, have played professionally in England with Brighton and West Ham but both have since been released.
It underlines the precarious position any female footballer is placed in should she decide to pursue a professional career abroad, but in many cases the risk is worth it.
Ryan Doyle will spend the summer working on her thesis and will have an education to fall back on but, like every young footballer, the dream is to play at the highest level possible.
“I don’t know [what I will do]. I’m just working part-time and studying and playing football, so I’m kind of enjoying myself at the moment.
“I think when the end of August comes I’ll look at what I want to do, get a full-time job or try go and play football.”
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