TOLAND ROVER THE MOON
Tyler loving life at Blackburn as Irish bid begins
TYLER TOLAND says it’s mission accomplished as far as her move to Blackburn Rovers is concerned.
When she made the decision last summer to return to the UK after a spell in Spain with Levante, her target was to play regular first-team football and work her way back into the international fold.
Both boxes have been ticked — and now she is looking forward to a couple of Euro 2025 qualifiers against France and European champions England.
“It is a great buzz, obviously, being in camp when you are playing two of the best teams in the world in the next 10 days,” said the Donegal native.
The squad — minus the injured Niamh Fahey (calf) — will jet out to Metz ahead of Friday’s clash with Herve Renard’s side at the Stade SaintSymphorien, a 30,000-seater stadium.
Then it’s back to Dublin for next Tuesday’s eagerly-anticipated visit of England to the Aviva.
“I think us as a team, we want to put on a performance for everyone and just be really hard to beat, like we are known for,” Toland continued.
Process
“Once we cross that white line, we will give everything we can.”
Reflecting on the thought process that took her to Championship side Blackburn, the former Manchester City and Celtic youngster spoke of short and long term goals.
“One of my personal ambitions was to get myself back in the Ireland fold and I am sitting here today, so obviously that has happened,” she said.
“In club football, I was looking for consistent game-time and that is exactly what I got.
“Playing week in and week out, that is what I needed and that is what allows me to come into camp like here today.”
As for the longer-term, she knew she wasn’t coming into a club that would be capable straight away of winning promotion to the Women’s Super League.
However, she was impressed by the pathway laid out in front of her during talks last summer.
“For me, this year was just about getting consistent game-time and to be fair, that is exactly what I have got so far,” she said.
“Blackburn has been a great move for me, obviously we are sitting mid-table, and the club is really looking to push on and are ambitious.
“To be fair, I can’t complain. It has been really good for me and it is a great club and they have done nothing but support me.
Content
“I am just really happy and content at the minute and just really enjoying my football.
“The club’s aim this year was to finish midtable and next year, look to go for promotion, just bring in a few players to strengthen over the summer and look to push on.
“Speaking to the club before I signed, I asked them honestly, what are the club’s ambitions?
“And they did say genuinely that we are looking to make a name for ourselves this year as a team that is hard to beat with the intention the following year of looking for promotion to the WSL.
“Look, we will see what happens, but I can’t fault the move so far, it has gone really well, working well and like I say, I am really enjoying my football.”
Blackburn are seventh in the 12-team secondtier, level on points with sixth-placed Sheffield United. An impressive recent run has seen them win three and draw two of their last five games, including a 4-1 win over Ireland teammate Jessie Stapleton’s Reading.
Toland returned to action recently after a spell on the sidelines with an MCL strain, which ruled her out of the February internationals against Italy and Wales.
“It wasn’t a serious injury, thank God, but it did put me out for a few weeks,” she said.
Ready
“But that’s football, isn’t it? But I’m back in the run of things, I got five 90 minutes in the last four weeks, back match-fit and ready to rock.”
Looking to the games against France and England in this window, and Sweden home and away in the May/June games, Toland says there is nothing to fear.
“I was buzzing, I was really, really excited,” she said of the draw. “Obviously, they are three of the best teams in the world and that is who we want to play against, we want to play the best in the world.
“That is what we want to be ourselves. It is a good test and it can only do us good.”