Méabh De Búrca: Stephanie Zambra leaves a 'lasting legacy'

Saturday marked the end of an era in Irish football as Stephanie Zambra hung up the boots for the final time in a memorable career for clubs and country.

The former Republic of Ireland striker finished up on a goalscoring note for Shamrock Rovers at home to Shelbourne in their SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division clash before going off to a standing ovation at Tallaght Stadium.

It's a career that yielded 58 international caps for the 35-year-old, as well as adventures in the Irish domestic scene and far beyond.

But part of her legacy will always be tied to the achievement of being nominated for the 2014 FIFA Puskas Award for best goal of the year worldwide.

That sensational goal for Peamount United in October 2013 was scored in front of a crowd of just 95 people at Wexford's Ferrycarrig Park but was seen by millions more afterwards once it went viral.

The resulting FIFA nomination made her a household name overnight but also put a spotlight on women's football in Ireland a decade before the exploits of the side that went on to play at last year's World Cup in Australia.

Her former Ireland team-mate Méabh De Búrca vividly recalls the sense of reflected glory that emanated from Zambra's feat.

"I would have started playing with Steph back in the underage days and we would've come up through the ranks then together," she told this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast.

Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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