Eileen Gleeson refuses to discuss Ireland future after Euro dream ends

Ireland were favourites to overcome their Celtic cousins but the 2-1 defeat mothballed any confidence accrued from Friday’s 1-1 draw in Cardiff.

Gleeson was head of women’s and girls football within the FAI and is believed to have brokered a deal whereby she remains within their employment if the senior job ends.

"It's not something I'm going to talk about tonight,” Gleeson stonewalled in her post-match interview.

"I'm not talking about anything else, other than the game tonight. We're going to pick ourselves up and we'll go again."

On the match, Gleeson was critical of Rhian Wilkinson and her Welsh staff for ‘provocation’. Captain Katie McCabe was lucky to avoid a second booking before half-time.

"We wanted to do the country proud, we wanted to get to Euro 2025 and we haven't - it's devastating.

"Overall, we dominated, 17 shots to six. We had chances in the first half we should have done a lot better with and goals win games.”

Jubilant Wilkinson said: “We matched Ireland at their game. It was tough, patchy game that rarely flowed. If we had to get in the ring for a dust-up or get it wide, it doesn’t matter.

“I’m not popular with the Irish staff right now but it was a battle.”