Manchester United defender Aoife Mannion is being put under consideration for Republic of Ireland selection by head coach Vera Pauw.
The 27-year-old centre-back qualifies to switch her international allegiances to the Republic of Ireland due to the fact that her parents are Irish-born.
When speaking in an interview with Irish football podcast, Green Machine, Republic of Ireland boss Pauw confirmed that lots of players have put themselves forward for consideration for selection for the national team and that Manchester United defender Mannion is one of those on her radar.
When speaking about players wanting to represent the Republic of Ireland, Pauw said “They have to be better than we already have and Aoife Mannion is one of them.
“She is coming back from an ACL injury so we are hoping that she will be ready and things are in the pipeline regarding her eligibility.”
Mannion has previously represented England up to and including Under-23 level but she has never been capped at senior level. The defender was on the fringes of the senior squad during Phil Neville’s spell as head coach of the Lionesses but she was never given the opportunity to play.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries have severely hindered Mannion’s progress on the international stage. It seems unlikely that she will break into the England team again during the current regime therefore a switch to the Republic of Ireland may be the best option, especially as we move into a FIFA Women’s World Cup year.
You can here more from the Green Machine podcast by clicking here.