Claire on the move
WEXFORD YOUTHS’ title hopes hit a speed-bump at the weekend with the news that attacker Claire O’Riordan has signed for professional Bundesliga outfit MSV Duisburg. The Limerick native played her last game for the Ferrycarrig Park side against Galway on Saturday after five years at the club.
The news of O’Riordan’s move shouldn’t come as a surprise for those around the league.
She quickly turned from bit-part performer for Youths into an international calibre player, someone that is always one of the first names on the teamsheet.
It hasn’t happened by chance. O’Riordan has regularly been putting in extra training sessions with Wexford’s male under-age teams in a bid to improve her performances and to push on to the next level.
This season the return to fitness of Rianna Jarrett has seen O’Riordan move out onto the left of the attack.
Rather than letting it get to her, as she might have in the past, O’Riordan has knuckled down and played a key role in Wexford’s unbeaten start to the season.
O’Riordan leaves Wexford with three league winners’ medals, an FAI Cup, a League Cup and a development shield success.
She is contracted in Germany until the end of the 2018-’19 season, with MSV Duisburg finishing ninth in the last Bundesliga campaign. There is also better news for Youths on the transfer front. Hawaiian McKenna Davidson was in attendance at Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday, getting to know her new team-mates and watching Wexford rack up their third win in a week.
The American attacker has playing experience with Chattanooga F.C. of the Southeast Division of the National Premier Soccer League, played collegiately at Pacific University and during a semester at the University of Limerick she helped the college to the Division 1 title, winning ‘player of the game’ in the final.
Two other youngsters made their debuts during the week. Waterford’s Aoife Slattery, the Irish Under-16 player of the year, started in defensive midfield against Kilkenny and came on for Kylie Murphy against Galway.
Former Peamount United youngster Doireann Fahey, an Under-17 regular for Ireland, joined Wexford in the transfer window. She started at left-back versus Kilkenny and came on for Becky Cassin on Saturday, meaning that it’s all change as the reigning league champions look to defend their crown.