Ciaran Kilduff: Home-based players are good enough for Ireland

Athlone Town boss Ciaran Kilduff believes the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division is full of rising stars good enough to go straight into Eileen Gleeson's Republic of Ireland squad.

Former Ireland boss Vera Pauw tended to lean heavily on players based in England and the USA during her spell in charge, but successor Gleeson has looked to blood more young home-based footballers since taking the reins in September.

Peamount United teenagers Erin McLaughlin, Ellen Dolan and Freya Healy all got a taste of the national set-up during the UEFA Nations League campaign, with more experienced campaigners like Amber Barrett overlooked.

And Kilduff - who led Athlone to FAI Cup glory in November - expects that trend to continue.

"I think Eileen is constantly going to pick what she sees as the best team, and she has obviously had first-hand knowledge of the league," he told RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport.

"The level in Ireland now is getting higher and higher in the women's game... the players coming through are ready to play in the national setup.

"It was always the way even in the men's game, you got on that magic plane to England and then you played for Ireland.

"There's a lot of talent in this country that are more than capable of playing international football in my opinion at this moment in time."

Kilduff took over at Athlone in late June after Tommy Hewitt's departure. The three-time Premier Division title winner is still only 35 but he's taken to management like a duck to water, galvanising the midlanders who capped off a fine second half of the season by beating Shelbourne on penalties in the cup final.

He admitted there were other options on the table, but the stars aligned to lead the former Dundalk and Shels striker to Athlone.