THE IRISH women's football team manager has a few tricks up her sleeve.
Vera Pauw has said that some of her players are training with boys youth sides affiliated with their Women's National League clubs, so that they are more experienced and better prepared for match days.
Ahead of friendlies this week against Denmark and Belgium, the coach was saying that the "only solution" to ensure Irish women footballers are ready for the top level is for them to train with boys.
She said: "You get the pressure. You need to solve football situations with somebody who is on you constantly, who is faster... It's cheap, it's feasible and we can do it."
She said she is "absolutely convinced" that this is the best option available to her at the minute.
'Training with boys is actually the only solution' - @FAIreland manager Vera Pauw on getting her players prepared for the pressure game - full interview with @Corktod here #RTESoccer #RTESport #COYGIG https://t.co/5rlXmFq1nh pic.twitter.com/2PQ48rb31z
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) April 6, 2021
In what is also quite an interesting move, Pauw has invited a quartet of Irish-eligible players into the camp this week to potentially declare for the Girls in Green, but has insisted that she has put no pressure on them to do so.
Pauw is leading Ireland into the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification campaign after signing a new two-year contract with the FAI in February.
The full interview can be seen here.
