Denise O'Sullivan, admits that she thought her chances of participating in the Ireland's first World Cup were over after an incident that left her to the hospital last week.
During a friendly match against Columbia as part of their World Cup warm-up games, the intensity of play resulted in several forceful challenges between the teams. After just 20 minutes, Ireland's Vera Pauw and the players collectively decided to end the match.
One notable moment that emerged on social media was when a Columbian player and O'Sullivan fiercely contested a ball, leading to an injury for the Ireland midfielder. The latter was immediately taken to the hospital for a shin scan. Fortunately, the injury turned out to be not as severe as feared, providing relief for Ireland's team and Ireland head coach Pauw.
Despite this setback, the determined 29-year-old managed to recover in time to feature in Ireland's opening group game against Australia, held last Thursday.
Reflecting on the tackle that caused the scare, O'Sullivan revealed her initial fears: "At the time it happened, I thought there could have been a chance for sure because I was in so much pain from the challenge," she shared with reporters.
Thankfully, further scans at the hospital revealed no broken bones, easing her concerns about her participation in the first major tournament of her career.
Foul on Denise O’Sullivan in Ireland v Colombia game. Match abandoned moments later. pic.twitter.com/CKrYsiT4xP
— Gavin Cummiskey (@Cumoski) July 16, 2023
“Luckily I went and got some scans and it didn’t show up anything broken. That was the fear, that there was something going to be broken but yeah I was lucky.
“It was a scare at first, because I was in so much pain when it happened. Obviously being the first major tournament, I feared the worst for myself.
In the hospital, the experience was emotionally overwhelming, and Angela Kenneally, the physio, provided support and comfort during those nerve-wracking moments.
“I was giving absolutely everything I could to do that, and luckily I did and I was glad I was able to be out there with the team.
“By the time we got some scans, it was within an hour. They were able to tell me some results and settle me down a bit.
“With Ange (Angela Kenneally, physio), I was actually shaking in the hospital because I was so nervous and emotional. But yeah, I mean, I got the results and I was able to relax a bit.”
Looking ahead, Ireland's next challenge will be against reigning Olympic champions Canada, scheduled for Wednesday at 1pm
