Heather Payne heading for crossroads in American adventure

Republic of Ireland striker Heather Payne is heading for a defining summer as her American adventure reaches a crossroads.

The Ballinasloe 23-year-old will graduate with a degree in dietetics from Florida State University in May after four years of crossing the Atlantic to combine her studies with a flourishing international football career.

Payne has been playing with the university's Seminoles team but will have to weigh up returning to Europe or staying in America after the World Cup in Australia in New Zealand.

Already Denise O’Sullivan has been jokingly trying to lure Payne to her NWSL outfit North Carolina Courage, but staying in the USA wouldn’t be straightforward. Payne would have to enter the annual NWSL draft which takes place every January.

Right now she’s in Ireland camp in Marbella, tuning up for next Wednesday’s friendly against China that will act as a precious chance to cement her status as Vera Pauw’s go-to striker for the World Cup.

After that, she’ll try to lock in her club future.

"I know that I will make the right decision."

"I’ll have to make decisions on what I want to do then but I have a couple more months left. I try not to rush into anything," Payne said.

"My main focus is the World Cup and making that final 23-player squad. Hopefully if that goes well for me, I’ll have options as well. I just want to take it day by day at the moment. It’s still only February. I’m just trying to keep all my options open and figure it out when the time comes.

"Denise loves the Courage, so she always says that I am welcome there. But that is not really how the system works in America, because you have to enter a draft system and you don’t really have a choice in where you go in that regard.

"I've just been speaking to