Third time's a charm as Gleeson lands her dream job

Third time's a charm for Eileen Gleeson.

The new Republic of Ireland head coach faced the press on Tuesday morning and revealed she'd previously applied for the top job twice before.

First Colin Bell got the nod in 2017; then Vera Pauw came on the scene two years later. But finally Gleeson's moment has arrived after she made the decision in October to throw her hat in the ring for the role permanently, having taken the reins on an interim basis in the wake of Pauw's departure at the end of August.

The FAI have decided Gleeson is the right person at the right time to take an ambitious team to the next level. Following a three-month search, director of football Marc Canham described the Dubliner as being the "outstanding and preferred candidate"; a unifying figure who is willing to buy into the association's grander vision for the international game from underage level right through to the senior side.

It's a crowning achievement for Gleeson, who's been at the coalface of the women's game for decades.

"This is not a new phenomenon that I've wanted to be the head coach of Ireland," said the Dubliner, whose contract runs up to the end of Euro 2025.

"I applied for the two previous roles and was unsuccessful, so this is an actual evolution.

"At first I was very much tied to the head of women’s football role... and then, as I said, I started to change my mind. I started more enjoying the role, I felt comfortable in it, so I expressed an interest in the process.

"If you're asking for a critical, specific time where I changed my mind, it was standing in the rain in Albania! I mean, who wouldn’t want to be there? Look, it’s nice to have positive feedback from players but as an influence or a decision making factor, it’s not what would