And having been the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper for over 20 years, winning a record 134 caps along the way, Byrne’s opinion carried lots of weight.
In advance of the last World Cup qualifying campaign, in her role as a pundit, she insisted that Megan Walsh should be the first-choice Irish goalkeeper. Her chief concern at that stage was the lack of game time Brosnan was getting at Everton, whereas Walsh was starting week in, week out for Brighton.
At the end of an outstanding campaign by Brosnan, Byrne held her hands up and admitted the New Jersey native had proved her wrong. So wrong, in fact, Brosnan became the first Irish goalkeeper to win the FAI’s Player of the Year award since Byrne 10 years before.And who has become Brosnan’s Republic of Ireland goalkeeping coach? Yep, Byrne.
Did the air have to be cleared when she arrived as part of Eileen Gleeson’s coaching team? Brosnan laughs off the notion.
“We’re all professionals and we know that people in the media are just doing their job. And it’s their job to have opinions and say what they want to say. I would never take anything anyone says personally, and I don’t think anyone else in the squad does either.
“Emma was a great player, an absolute legend and her name speaks for itself. And she’s really funny, so she’s someone you can have jokes with—and I had to give her a bit! But I think she’s my number one fan.
“We’ve had a lot of discussions about how good she thinks I am and can be, so it’s great to have someone like that in your corner. She’s provided a wealth of knowledge since she came in, and she’s open and honest.”
And just to show how quickly fortunes can turn in football, Brosnan has since established herself as Everton’s number one, holding off the challenge of former England underage international Emily Ramsey, while Walsh has dropped out of the Irish squad after struggling for game time this season at West Ham.
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