Your Public Service Media Do Mheáin Seirbhíse Poiblí

Republic of Ireland head coach Carla Ward says she would "100%" be open to bringing Colin Healy back into the fold if her assistant coach Amber Whitely gets the Liverpool job permanently.

Ex-assistant coach Healy departed along with boss Eileen Gleeson after the Euro 2025 play-off loss to Wales, but he later claimed the FAI had given him assurances he'd be kept on even if Ireland failed to reach this summer's tournament.

FAI CEO David Courell and chief football officer Marc Canham have both disputed his version of events, with the fallout continuing to cast a cloud over the women’s squad ahead of their Nations League double-header against Greece next week.

In February, when asked whether she considered keeping Healy on her back-room team, Ward said: "It wasn't an option to consider him because he was gone from the organisation before I came in."

On Monday, Canham appeared to contradict that when he suggested Ward had made it clear she wanted Alan Mahon as her assistant head coach. "Carla had a really clear vision, and who her assistant could be," he said.

Ward brought in Whitely as an additional member of her coaching staff in early February. Whitely had been Matt Beard's No 2 at Liverpool but she was promoted to the role of interim manager following Beard's exit last month and is a live contender to get the gig full time.

"If there was an opportunity that (Healy) could have stayed on in Amber's role, 100% he could have."

"If Amber gets the Liverpool job and Colin made himself available, of course he would be considered," Ward told the media at FAI HQ after naming her squad for the Greek matches.

"He's really well respected among the players and staff. I don’t know him, I’ve not spoken to him but he seems a great guy. Would we