Pearl Slattery: Hoops bring a different dimension to league

Shelbourne captain Pearl Slattery is embracing the "different dimension" Shamrock Rovers will bring to the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division and insists there is no bad blood between the clubs after the Hoops signed several Reds players in the off-season.

Abbie Larkin, Jess Gargan, Shauna Fox, Lia O’Leary, Aoife Kelly and Amanda Budden are among the players who swapped Tolka Park for Tallaght Stadium over the winter.

Collie O’Neill has built a formidable Hoops squad but Slattery, who skippered Shels to the league and cup double in 2022, believes it’s positive for the league.

"Shamrock Rovers on the men's side have been champions for the last few years and they should have had a women’s team," said Slattery, who is in the running to be crowned the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland Women’s Personality of the Year at this Saturday’s awards in Dublin's Clayton Hotel.

"For me, it brings a different dimension to the league and I think it's a good thing. They took some of our players [but] they were brilliant for us, you wish them all the best and that's football, that's life.

"Rovers are coming in and there are different factors but if it raises standards, I think that's only good for the women's game and for the next generation. It's been Wexford, Shels and Peas [Peamount], maybe a few others, and now Rovers will be looking to do it as well.

"It brings more competition and they will get fans to the games so for me that's all positive. For Shels, we will continue as is. In previous seasons we have lost players to abroad and this is a little different as they are going somewhere else in the league, but you wish them all the best.

"We're in pre-season now and we prefer to do the talking where it matters and that's on the