The She Kicks Locker Room: Captain’s Chat with Katie McCabe

Katie McCabe had never captained a team in her life when Colin Bell messaged to say he needed to phone her, and her first thought was that she was in trouble. She was twenty-one and about to be made captain of the Republic of Ireland. Her model is Emma Byrne, whom she used to watch at Inchicore at twelve or thirteen and later played alongside, and who was delighted for her; Robbie Keane rang too. Her proudest moment is leading the team out against Slovakia in Tallaght, her home town, with her little sister there. She keeps the huddle short and sweet, accepts she has had to mature quickly, and says that when she struggles there are twenty others to pick her up.