Clodagh Daly

Who is on the coaching staff for your team?

Keith Coffey, Terry Gleeson and Sineád Murray.

Where are you from?

Toomevara, outside of Nenagh, Co. Tipperary.

When did you join Shamrock Rovers?

I joined almost two years ago in July, 2022.

Were you playing football before that?

I was playing for my local club, Ballymackey FC. It’s about a five-minute walk from my house.

Why did you choose Shamrock Rovers?

I looked at a couple of clubs before I came to Rovers. Rovers was definitely the most professional with better training, better coaching with the video analysis, better facilities and a proper gym.

Did you try your hand at any other sport before choosing soccer?

I used to play camogie and Gaelic football. I was with the Tipperary Under 14s (Gaelic football county team).

How do you think you are getting on this season?

We’re doing good. We dropped points against Shels and Bohs but before that we were winning most of our games. Hopefully, we will qualify for Tier One. It’s better than the last couple of years.

What has playing for Ireland been like for you?

I love playing for Ireland, going on camps and all that with the 15s, 16s and now 17s. We’re finished now and I am kind of missing going on camps and going away. This season we were in Poland, Portugal and Albania. Last year we were in Serbia and with the 15s we were in Newcastle (England).

What do your friends think of you playing for Shamrock Rovers?

They think I’m mad travelling all the way up to Dublin three times a week! They’re mostly interested in Camogie so they don’t have the same interests.

Women's football is a growing sport, where do you see it going in Ireland?

Probably all the men’s clubs now have women’s academies and a senior team so it will probably eventually get to a really high standard and there will be more people playing it.

Would you like to coach children?

I have coached the Under 9 boys’ team at Ballymackey FC this year. I have done the Soccer Camps during the summer. I would love to be a coach after I am finished playing.

Do you observe a particular dietary regime?

Not particularly but I do eat healthily for the most part, before matches trying to take on carbs and that.

Have you any particular hobbies/interests outside of football?

I play the piano.

Whereabouts are you currently education-wise?

I’m in Transition Year, it’s a bit of a doss!

How would you describe yourself:

(a) on the pitch:

I would say I am more of a ball playing centre half rather than an out and out defender because when I was younger I was always midfield or a striker or a winger. It was only later I went centre half so yeah, I’m learning more about defending mostly at the moment.

(b) off the pitch:

Off the pitch I mostly go to sports, my brothers are always heavily involved in soccer and football so I am still very much always going around to games or watching soccer on TV.