PreviewNiamh Fahey on 100 caps and 'dream' FA Cup fixture
Liverpool FC Women's Niamh Fahey has spoken of the 'huge privilege' she feels after winning her 100th cap for Republic of Ireland during the international break.
The Reds skipper brought up a century of appearances in green and white when she captained her country in their 2-1 win over Poland in a Pinatar Cup fixture 11 days ago.
It continued an excellent month for the 34-year-old after consecutive clean sheets against Coventry United Ladies and Sunderland AFC Ladies saw Liverpool extend the team’s lead at the top of the FA Women’s Championship table to 10 points.
“It’s been an absolute honour to represent my country and to have done so 100 times is a huge privilege,” she says.
“I’m just immensely proud every time I pull on the green shirt. I am a passionate and a proud Irish woman and to reach that figure is special.”
Fahey was one of a dozen Reds who headed off on international duty before returning to The Campus at the end of the week to prepare for what could be a Vitality Women’s FA Cup thriller against Women’s Super League leaders Arsenal on Sunday.
It’s another significant game for the centre-back as she comes up against the team with whom she enjoyed huge success earlier in her career, scooping five FA Cup wins in seven years.
“It was an amazing period of my career and one that I look back on with massively fond memories,” she said. “It's a competition I love and hopefully we can continue to have a good run in it here at Liverpool.
“I’m really looking forward to it and I know all the rest of the girls are. Obviously with it being a cup game anything can happen and with it being against Arsenal as well it’s a dream fixture for me really.”
A place in the quarter-final is at stake when the teams run out at Prenton Park at 12pm GMT on Sunday, with a good crowd expected. Tickets are available at liverpoolfc.com/women-tickets.
The full version of this interview with Fahey can be found in Sunday’s matchday programme, available at the ground priced £2.50, or from the LFC online store after the game.
Elsewhere in the issue, we catch up with former Reds title-winning captain Gemma Bonner on the eve of the new US National Women’s Soccer League season.
We hear about her life at Racing Louisville and get her thoughts on her beloved LFC Women as they chase promotion back to the top flight.
Plus, manager Matt Beard shares his thoughts in his regular column, winger Melissa Lawley tackles our quickfire questions, there’s a poster of defender Megan Campbell, the lowdown on our visitors from north London, and a look back at past clashes with Arsenal.