DENISE O’SULLIVAN will captain Ireland against the USA after Carla Ward named a strong squad for the double header with the Olympic champions.
Regular skipper Katie McCabe has been given the summer off to rest after a tough season while Manchester United defender Aoife Mannion has also been given a break.
Defender Louise Quinn – who faced Slovenia last week but has announced she is retiring this summer – is also not included.
But Ward has been able to call up other star players with North Carolina Courage midfielder O’Sullivan to lead the side with Crystal Palace defender Hayley Nolan getting her first call-up since 2023.
Ward said: “Hayley has been unlucky to miss out on being included in recent squads, simply because we have a lot of competition for places at centre-back.
“We have kept an eye on her at club level, I’ve spoken with her managers and also had conversations with her. So we are excited to bring Hayley in and give her a chance.”
Also recalled is Wexford’s Ellen Molloy who is rewarded for her sparkling displays in the Women’s Premier Division following her return from England and Sheffield United.
Ward added: “Ellen is a player who we have been tracking closely.
“She has done well for Wexford over the last two months and has been on the long list for our squads.
“So we needed an opportunity to take a closer look at her in our envirnoment and this is it.
“We know how talented Ellen is but it’s how she can adapt that to international level is what we need to look at.
“I watched her when she was with Sheffield United and we’ve been watching her at Wexford, so we want to see how she gets on during this camp.”
Ward believes the games with Olympic champions USA on Thursday June 26 and Sunday June 29 will test the Girls in Green, ahead of the October Nations League play-off with Belgium.
She added: “We know how good USA are, they’ve always been world class but I believe Emma (Hayes) has taken them to another level and that’s why this is a great test for us.
“To be coming up against the very best is a good opportunity for us.
“These two fixtures will be our final preparation, in terms of games, before we take on Belgium in October, so we want to make the most of these opportunities.”
Ireland: Brosnan (Everton), Moloney (Unattached), Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic),
Stapleton (West Ham United), Patten (Aston Villa), Hayes (Brighton & Hove Albion), Nolan (Crystal Palace), Mustaki (Bristol City), Campbell (Unattached),
O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Connolly (Lazio), Toland (Blackburn Rovers), Littlejohn (Shamrock Rovers), Sheva (Sunderland), Molloy (Wexford),Quinn (Birmingham City),
Carusa (San Diego Wave), Larkin (Crystal Palace), Barrett (Standard Liege), Murphy (Newcastle United), Noonan (Celtic), Healy (Adelaide United), Atkinson (Unattached)
