The stars align for Eileen Gleeson to seize her moment

Eileen Gleeson has her dream job.

It's the obvious choice - though the confirmation of her appointment as Republic of Ireland head coach still caught many off guard on Monday afternoon. Like all great twists, this one was staring us in the face the whole time.

In September, Gleeson took control of a squad on an emotional comedown following their first appearance at a World Cup and Vera Pauw's messy departure.

Gleeson brought Emma Byrne and Colin Healy into her backroom team, which was a smart move. Morale improved, and the wins rolled in as Ireland stomped past moderate opposition.

With every passing press conference, Gleeson's stance on taking the job on a permanent basis softened. Initially the Dubliner was adamant she'd be returning to her role as head of women's and girls' football. By November, she was refusing to definitively rule herself out of the running.

We know now that she had informed the FAI in October that she wanted to be considered for the position.

Of course Gleeson was interested. How could she not be?

Steeped in the domestic game here, Gleeson is well liked and respected by the players. From the FAI's point of view, she ticks plenty of boxes too.

Director of football Marc Canham - who spearheaded the search for Pauw's successor - wants a clear alignment between the underage teams and the senior setup.

Canham spent five years working with the English FA and nine years with the Premier League, where he implemented a successful Elite Player Performance Plan. He's keen to replicate that formula in this country; indeed one of the reasons the FAI decided against renewing Pauw's contract was her approach to some elements of training - strength and conditioning for one. The Dutchwoman refused to be swayed when it came