Three For The Ages

Cliftonville midfielder Vicky Carleton reflects on a treble-winning 2024, completed with a 5-0 Irish Cup final win over Lisburn Rangers that delivered personal redemption after a red card in the previous year’s final. Carleton, who battled back from ankle surgery to record one of her best statistical seasons with six goals and nine assists, describes the emotional high of scoring off the bench with her mother watching, and the satisfaction of sealing the league title with a 6-0 win over closest rivals Glentoran. She looks back on a turbulent few years since leaving Lewes in England, and discusses her ambition to play abroad again and to force her way back into the Northern Ireland squad after narrowly missing out on the 2022 EUROs through injury.