First-call up for Crystal Palace’s Hopcroft as Ruesha Littlejohn left out of Ireland squad

LAST UPDATE | 14 hrs ago

The 42 Reports from FAI HQ, Abbotstown

CRYSTAL PALACE MIDFIELDER Shanade Hopcroft has received her first Ireland call-up, while Ruesha Littlejohn is not included for the upcoming World Cup play-off semi-finals against lowly Kazakhstan.

Katie McCabe, Marisa Sheva and Denise O’Sullivan are all out of the first leg in Astana next Friday, 9 October, for varying reasons, while Heather Payne returns to Carla Ward’s 25-player squad for the first time since last October.

English-born Hopcroft is a surprise addition: The 28-year-old qualifies through her grandmother Nora Hopcroft, from Tubbercurry, Sligo, and was previously on the radar with her Irish passport secure for two-and-a-half years.

She has started all of Palace’s league games so far this season, starring in a 0-0 draw with Arsenal at Emirates Stadium and scoring a long-range free-kick against former side Birmingham City.

Littlejohn, meanwhile, has been without a club since departing the newly-promoted side this summer, and the 36-year-old midfielder has cast doubt over her future on social media.

McCabe and Sheva are both suspended for the first leg in Astana due to an accumulation of yellow cards, while O’Sullivan will not travel from her US base due to “player welfare” and load management as she returns from a recent knee injury.

The star trio will return for the return tie at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh the following Tuesday, 13 October. The winners of Ireland-Kazakhstan will face Belgium or Poland for a ticket to next summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

“Maz (Marisa Sheva) won’t travel to Kazakhstan given she’s just come back from injury, so will join up with us in Cork,” Ward began her squad announcement press conference this morning.

“Katie will travel because she’s the captain and we want her there. Denise will meet us in Cork, so will miss the first game. But that’s purely a player welfare piece. As you can imagine, she wants to play, she wants to come, and will try every trick in the book to try and be involved. But we have to look after her. It’s a long travel. It’s an artificial pitch, and something we decided would be in the best interest of keeping her fit.”

Saoirse Noonan (ankle) and Tara O’Hanlon (hamstring) are unavailable through injury. 

New addition Hopcroft will claim most of the headlines, and Ward speaks highly of the “tenacious” midfielder.

“I’ve been watching her for a couple of years, and I know previous managers have also looked at her. She’s somebody that I think brings experience. She’s playing WSL football. We have a mixture between WSL 1 and WSL 2, and she’s got that experience. She’s tenacious, she can get around the middle of the park. She’s somebody that I think brings a bit of experience as well.

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“Without Maz (Marisa Sheva), Ruesha, and Denise for that first part camp, I think she brings in a bit of experience. We’re looking forward to bringing her in, and is someone that started this season tremendously well. She’s played every minute of the WSL so far. We’re excited to get her in.”

Meanwhile,Ward admitted the decision to leave Littlejohn out was difficult – and due to the fact that she is without a club. She met the 94-cap midfielder for a coffee last week, and confirmed that she is currently training with a WSL 2 club.

“Let’s hope that Championship club signs her, because I think they need her,” said Ward.

“The door’s well and truly open for Ruesha. As you know, I’ve huge admiration for Ruesh. I had (her at) two clubs and now have the joy of working with her here. What she offers the group, we don’t have that, it’s unrivaled. She leads the leaders, she helps the younger players, and she’ll be a huge loss. I find it crazy that she doesn’t have a club, but we know nowadays it’s not all about what you do on the pitch.

“I think that what people don’t see is, when Ruesha Littlejohn walks through the doors, she is a top, top, top pro. Somebody that works extremely hard, sets a good level and standard. I’m clear with her, the door’s open, and it will remain open. I hope she gets the club, and if she doesn’t, I’ll be knocking on the door of the senior bosses, saying we need to keep her in some capacity. What she can offer is massive.”

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Ireland WNT Squad

Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Southampton), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic)

Defenders: Aoife Mannion (Newcastle United), Heather Payne (Leicester City), Anna Patten (Aston Villa), Caitlin Hayes (Brighton & Hove Albion), Jessie Stapleton (Leicester City), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Hayley Nolan (Crystal Palace), Chloe Mustaki (Nottingham Forest), Katie McCabe (Chelsea)

Midfielders: Denise O’Sullivan (Gotham FC), Marissa Sheva (Sunderland), Aoibheann Clancy (Watford), Jamie Finn (Burnley), Lucy Quinn (Sheffield United), Tyler Toland (Burnley), Jess Ziu (Leicester City), Shanade Hopcroft (Crystal Palace)

Forwards: Kyra Carusa (HB Køge), Amber Barrett (Strasbourg), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Emily Murphy (Brighton & Hove Albion), Leanne Kiernan (Newcastle United).

- Updated at 12pm with quotes from the squad announcement press conference

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Written by Emma Duffy and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.