Jason O’Brien recently interviewed Cork City midfielder Stacey Paul on joining the club this season, opening her account recently against Peamount United and making the step up to play National League in Ireland.
You had a great season of course with Douglas Hall, winning the FAI Intermediate Cup, as a Douglas girl, how did it feel to bring the trophy home?
It was a huge success for everyone involved, and to have beaten so many of the top teams away from home on the way made it even sweater. One of my favourite memories was our return to one of our sponsors and having a huge crowd chanting ‘we are Douglas Hall’ was something I will remember forever. I think being with the Hall from a young age and working my way through schoolgirls and then into the senior team and to win the Intermediate Cup was a significant acknowledgement of the hard work on and off the field.
Cork City then spotted you and came in for your signature, was it a tough decision leaving Douglas Hall for Cork City?
Well it is always a hard decision moving to a different club but having seen former Douglas players like Clare Shine make the move into the National League and really enjoy it, I felt it was the right time to take the step up to the National League. There is a huge buzz around Cork about Cork City especially with the success John Caulfield has had and it made the move more attractive, and I think every player should play at the highest level they can so the move made sense.
How have you found the step up from playing at intermediate level to playing in the National League?
It is a huge commitment playing at this level between additional training sessions to what you would have at club level and also the traveling involved, but it is certainly rewarding as the step up has also made me a better player, playing week in week out against the best players in the country is always going to be hard and sometimes the results are hard to take. It can only better us as players, and I do feel personally the tempo was hard to re-adjust to, but each week I am adjusting better and it was great to score at the weekend.
Have you found the standard of play different now that you are a Cork City player?
The players are very fit and there is a noticeable difference in their physical strength and that is something I have really noticed with physical pain the day after games. Also playing regular football against top international players and of course playing with Internationals such as Shannon Carson, Ciara McNamara is always something you would have to enjoy.
Do you enjoy playing under Charlie Lynch, and how have you the found the club as a whole so far?
The experience has been extremely positive and Charlie has been very professional and helpful to me and has provided the support required in making the transition into the National League. The club is excellent and it is great to be able to see Bishopstown and the day to day running of the club and really it’s amazing to see what goes on to make sure the club is in such a good position.
How did it feel to open your account for the club with yiur first goal and player of the match performance against Peamount?
As a midfielder with my former club Douglas Hall, I always enjoyed scoring goals and it was great to get on the scoresheet in my third game, I love scoring goals and it is great to be able to help the team by getting on the scoresheet. We drew that game 2-2 and really should have taken more from the game which shows we are moving in the right direction as a club as Peamount were recently in the Champions League knockout stages.
What are your personal goals for the season, and what are your main hopes for the team?
My personal goal is to continue my development and smooth transition into the league, I want to enjoy the experience of being part of the club and playing against the best players in the country. The main goal for the team is to continue the hard work behind the scenes and train hard. working towards picking up as many points as we can in the process.
Do you think it is better now for girls to have an option of playing at a senior national level within Ireland for their local club?
Playing at senior level is the ambition for every player, when I started as a school girl I always was ambitions and to be playing now with Cork and really contributing to the teams’ performance is very rewarding.
Finally, do you have any encouraging words to young players who might be looking at playing in the National League?
The important thing for every player to realise is the benefits of playing at the highest level, you get to challenge yourself against the elite in your sport and even though results may go against you it will benefit you as a player to be playing at the highest level possible that they can play at.
Pictured – David O’Leary, Ciara Desmond, John Caulfield, Stacey Paul and Johnny Dunleavy. (c) Patrick Healy
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