'Obsessed' Ward brushes aside Villa talk before Ireland playoff

Oct 8 : Ireland women's manager Carla Ward said she remained "obsessed" with reaching next year's World Cup and would not allow media speculation linking her with a return to Aston Villa to distract her from the playoffs.

Ward's Ireland team visit Kazakhstan on Friday in the first leg of their round one playoff, with the winners facing either Poland or Belgium in another two-legged tie for a place in the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.

Villa recently dismissed Natalia Arroyo and placed Brian Sorensen, the club's technical adviser, in interim charge. Sorensen had only recently been appointed as Ward's assistant with Ireland, but was subsequently unable to take up the role.

Ward spent three seasons in charge at Villa before stepping away in May 2024 to take a break for family reasons and was appointed Ireland manager in January 2025.

"I think it's always nice when you see your name batted about with top jobs and it shows maybe the work that we are doing," Ward told RTE on Thursday.

"But it doesn't faze me. My concern right now is four games. I'm obsessed with getting to a World Cup, obsessed with the next four games. Nothing can take my focus away from that because that is what I came here to do."

Ward's Ireland contract expires at the end of the World Cup campaign, but she declined to be drawn on whether she would have preferred a new deal before the playoffs.

"It's not of my concern, honestly," Ward replied.

"My concern is four games, four games that we want to win, four games that I am literally obsessed with in terms of what we do, how we do it and trying to get there.

"And you know what? When those four games are over, I'm sure we'll have... ask me then."

Ward's situation contrasts with that of Ireland men's manager Heimir