Ireland's Courtney Brosnan has emphasised the importance of the current Irish team being remembered for more than just reaching one major tournament.
The Girls in Green will play Wales in Cardiff on Friday before hosting their play-off opponents in Dublin on December 3, the following week.
A two-legged victory this week and next would see Ireland qualify for their second major tournament and debut European Championships next summer.
It would be a remarkable achievement for the team and would be celebrated in a manner similar to their historic World Cup qualification.
However, Brosnan, who was crowned FAI Women’s International Player of the Year last week, insists that Eileen Gleeson’s side is focused on building a legacy beyond a single World Cup appearance.
“Obviously, you have a big occasion like qualifying for your first World Cup, but I feel something I and the whole team have talked about is that we don’t just want that one thing. There’s still more to be done, and everyone has their eyes forward and their foot on the gas,” Brosnan said on Monday to RTE Sport
Goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan during a Republic of Ireland Women Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile“You don’t want to be the team that just qualifies for one major tournament; I don’t think anyone wants that. You want to be doing that consistently. So there’s always that drive to push forward and continue writing history, adding to the legacy.”
The Everton goalkeeper also highlighted the impact that reaching another major tournament could have on future generations. Brosnan believes the team is ready for the play-off, describing it as the kind of challenge players dream of.
“It’s so important for us to be role models for the younger generation, to leave the game better than we found it, and to set up that next generation to have opportunities we didn’t have when we started playing,” she said.
“Everyone knew it was going to come down to a play-off, so that’s something we’ve been prepared for and something we’ve experienced before,” added the in-form shotstopper.
“It’s a massive game, and everyone knows coming into camp how important it is. But that’s exciting because these are the moments you dream of when you start playing football professionally and internationally.”
Ireland WNT Squad
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (London City Lionesses), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic)
Defenders: Jessie Stapleton (Sunderland, on loan from West Ham United), Diane Caldwell (FC Zurich), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Aoife Mannion (Manchester United), Caitlin Hayes (Celtic), Anna Patten (Aston Villa), Megan Campbell (London City Lionesses)
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Carolina), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Lily Agg (Birmingham City), Tyler Toland (Blackburn Rovers), Ruesha Littlejohn (London City Lionesses), Heather Payne (Everton), Marissa Sheva (Portland Thorns), and Izzy Atkinson (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Kyra Carusa (San Diego Wave), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Julie-Ann Russell (Galway United)
UEFA EURO 2025 Qualifying Play-Off
Round 2, First Leg
Cymru v Ireland
Friday, November 29th
Cardiff City Stadium
KO 19:15
LIVE on RTÉ2/RTÉ / RTÉ Player
UEFA EURO 2025 Qualifying Play-Off
Round 2, Second Leg
Ireland v Cymru
Tuesday, December 3rd
Aviva Stadium
KO 19:30
LIVE on RTÉ2 / RTÉ Player
