O'Sullivan airs her love for Courage after 'very tough year'

Denise O'Sullivan admits she's endured a "very tough year mentally" in the USA after the controversy surrounding ex-North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley that rocked the National Women's Soccer League.

Last October, serious allegations of sexual coercion and misconduct by Riley came to light.

A full FIFA investigation followed, with Riley - who led the Courage to back-to-back NWSL championships in 2018 and 2019 - sacked and stripped of his coaching license.

O'Sullivan has been at the Courage since 2017, and though she admitted that period was hard, the Corkwoman was emphatic in her insistence that she never considered leaving the club.

"Having a coach for four, five years and him being a big influence in your life, it was really tough."

"Not leaving the Courage, definitely not," she said at the Republic of Ireland's team hotel ahead of Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Sweden.

"I always knew no matter what changes there were in the team, I really love the environment there. I'm playing with some of the best players in the world and against some of the best players in the world.

"It's really one of the top leagues in the world - it's got me to where I am today, going to the Courage. I think that changed my career and I became better for it. I didn't consider leaving at all at the time."

That being said, O'Sullivan found the whole fallout draining.

"Obviously it was a very tough year mentally," she added. "By the end of the season, there were players... we just didn't want to be there at the time. I think it was just so mentally tiring what happened.

"Having a coach for four, five years and him being a big influence in your life, it was really tough.

"Now, it's a fresh start, we have a new head coach in (Sean Nahas) and he's