Republic of Ireland head coach Carla Ward has brushed aside reports connecting her with a return to the Women's Super League, insisting her complete attention is fixed on guiding Ireland to next summer's World Cup in Brazil.
Ward, who took charge of the national team in January 2025 following Eileen Gleeson's departure, has recently been mentioned as a candidate for the managerial vacancy at Aston Villa, a club she previously worked for. Despite the speculation, the 42-year-old was unequivocal in stating that no other opportunity could distract her from the task at hand.
"Nothing is tempting when I'm in this job, you know I love this job and I love working here," Ward said. "I don't think anything can take my attention away from these next four games so it's not a conversation and it's not anything I would entertain."
She went further, describing her commitment to the cause in personal terms. "My heart and my focus, I came here to try and get to a World Cup and that's all I'm going to think about for the next four games," she added.
Ireland stand on the verge of a second consecutive World Cup appearance, having broken new ground in 2023 when they qualified for the tournament for the first time in the nation's history. That campaign ended in the group stage, with defeats to co-hosts Australia and Canada sandwiching a draw against Nigeria. Now Ward has the chance to write another chapter by leading the team back to football's biggest stage.
The road to Brazil begins with a play-off against Kazakhstan, ranked 98th in the world. The first leg takes place at the Astana Arena on Friday, 9 October, before the sides meet again four days later at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, a venue where Ireland remain unbeaten. Victory over the two legs would set up a final play-off against either Belgium or Poland for a place at the finals.
"We've got four games, four cup finals," Ward said, framing the upcoming fixtures as the culmination of significant progress made by Irish football in recent years. "We have to give everything, blood, sweat and tears. We have to leave everything out there in everything we do and if we do that, we've got every chance."
The manager was careful not to underestimate the Kazakhstan challenge, calling for her side to raise their standards. "We have to go up another level, we have to make sure that we're performing, and we're focused at the highest level," she said, expressing confidence in the depth of talent within her squad.
Ward will be without several key figures for the opening leg. Captain Katie McCabe and Marissa Sheva are both serving suspensions, while veteran midfielder Denise O'Sullivan is also unavailable. Tara O'Hanlon has been ruled out through a hamstring injury, and Saoirse Noonan will miss both fixtures due to an ankle problem. In response, Crystal Palace midfielder Shanade Hopcroft has earned her first call-up to the senior squad.
Despite the list of absentees, Ward views the situation as an opportunity for other players to step into the spotlight. "That's an opportunity for players to step up," she said, adding that McCabe would still play a leadership role from the sidelines. "Katie's here for a reason, she's got a big part to play off the pitch, and she will and she'll lead the group as she normally does. Then it'll be over to those that go out there and I have full belief in every single one of this group to go and get the job done."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.