The last time she briefed the media, Diane Caldwell’s reflections on Vera Pauw’s reign grabbed all of the headlines, and now, five months on, such observations are still pertinent.
With 101 caps for Ireland, her opinion is certainly to be headed, but with that all said and done, she’s relishing this new lease of life under new head coach Eileen Gleeson.
“From my position as a pretty experienced player, I don't think it was up to the standard expected at international level. I think the results, performances that we got, were in spite of Vera being coach,” Caldwell says, reflecting on the team at that time under Pauw.
Diane Caldwell coming on for her first World Cup game for Niamh Fahey. Caldwell’s 97th cap for Ireland 🇮🇪
— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) July 31, 2023
“I missed out on playing at the biggest stage at the World Cup and that really, really hurt me," she continues, not acknowledging her ceremonial grace of the pitch in the final fleeting moments versus Nigeria.
"When Eileen came in and gave me the chance to start I just wanted to enjoy playing again. I just wanted to embrace having the jersey on my back again, playing in front of the Irish fans.
"A big moment for me was the Aviva game [against Northern Ireland]. I really wanted to do it for myself, to focus on things I can control, focus on playing well and enjoying being out there with the girls again because honestly I really missed that for a long time.”
Now setting her sights on helping the Girls In Green to Euros qualification, Caldwell insists the team have learned a lot from their “really enjoyable” and impeccable Nations League campaign.
“I think when you have the ball the game is easier,” she says.
“To be honest I think I actually was surprised with how quickly we established that new style of play and how well it went straight away. Like in anything, sometimes it takes a little bit of time.
"You have to learn new ways of playing, new ways of thinking. Like in anything in life it normally takes a little bit of a transitional period but I think we just took off with it from the very first game.
“You can see we really enjoy playing that way and obviously it helps if you're successful and when you’re wining games and scoring a lot of goals, so the buy-in was definitely there from the very first moment.”
The very best of luck and good wishes to the three Girls in Green who will lead Dublin's St. Patrick's Day parade this afternoon, Vera Pauw, Paula Gorham and Diane Caldwell. What a fun day awaits! ☘️🇮🇪⚽️ #coygig pic.twitter.com/WKKbt2uZ7E
— Éire Guide (@eireguide) March 17, 2023
Beyond Diane Caldwell’s reflections on Vera Pauw’s reign , but what comes next for her?
At 35, the FC Zürich Frauen player is now met with question of ‘what comes of life after football’ frequently, but it certainly is something she’s thought about and is starting to prepare for.
“I’ve tried to equip myself for that terrible time when you have to hang up your boots. I’ve been doing coaching licences, starting to get ready for that next stage. I’m very interested in coaching, being on the grass, being with players on a one-on-one basis,” she says.
“We’re building something phenomenal right now,” she adds.
“The excitement levels around women’s football are fantastic. The participation numbers, especially in the younger group, are increasing. I visited my local club in Balbriggan when I was back in January, it’s been transformed since I was a player there. They used to have lorry containers for changing rooms, now there’s a clubhouse, an all-weather pitch, fantastic facilities.
“And as players, we just want to be successful long-term and contribute to that growth. We’ve qualified for our first major tournament – success is continuing that, it not just being a one-off. And I feel we can achieve that – we have the structures in place now.”
Passionate about “giving back to football”, there’s surely no limit to what life after football might entail for her.
Training Day ✌️ pic.twitter.com/ICUyOVP5fA
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) February 21, 2024
