Julie-Ann Russell and Katie Keane flying the flag for rising League, says Athlone's Roisin Molloy
Inspiration for the WPD's rising stars has come from young and old on the international stage in recent days
In the week that's in it, Roisin Molloy says that inspiration has come from two different places.
Molloy's Athlone Town will return after the summer break at the top of affairs in the Women's Premier Division, a difficult trip to champions Peamount the first test of their credentials when they come back to action next week.
But the League has been very much in the headlines since last Friday night, when Galway United's Julie-Ann Russell made the very most of her comeback to international football.
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Russell, who gave birth a year ago, scored Ireland's first goal of a difficult Euro 2025 qualifying campaign in the Carrow Road defeat to England.
Then, on Tuesday, the high-energy 33-year-old provided the assist for the first goal, lit up Páirc Uí Chaoimh with the second herself before winning the corner that resulted in the third in a 3-1 victory over France to end the group on a high.
"I think it's massive to have someone in the League making such an impact in the team, and not just as part of the squad," said Molloy.
"Credit to her, Julie-Ann contributed hugely to both games. It was quality to see someone like that from one of our clubs doing that on the international stage.
"I think she's such an unbelievable player. She already had 60 caps, but she is playing at a high level week in, week out for Galway against players from our League. It's great for players here to see that, to see that there is a path if you play at that level.
"Galway are like ourselves, we're two teams that haven't been at the top of the table in previous years but are progressing because the clubs are investing in the women's side. It's really good to see."
Winger Molloy, who was Athlone's player of the season last year, also pays tribute to one of her own team-mates, Katie Keane, who is on the other end of the age spectrum from Russell.
Keane, 17, produced a stellar performance for Ireland's under-19s in their opening European Championship pool game against Spain. The favourites got 15 shots on target for Keane was equal to them all in a scoreless draw.
"It was a massive performance and she's a top goalkeeper, she's so talented," said Molloy. "We actually have three players in that under-19s squad and it shows the quality that we have at Athlone, there are so many talented young players who are pushing the older ones to get in the team.
"We have brought in even more quality players this year and the intensity of our training is very high, higher than it was. It's a very competitive place to be."
Ciaran Kilduff, the midlanders' boss, wanted the team to kick on after their rousing FAI Cup final success against Shelbourne last season.
With a record of nine wins, one draw and one loss from their first 11 games, Athlone have done that.
"Obviously it was massive for us to win our first trophy and to get that off our backs," said 23-year-old Molloy, who is working back home in Sligo during the summer before her return to TUS in Athlone for the final year of her nutrition studies.
"It came on the back of a run of seven or eight wins in a row in the League, so we knew we were going well, and definitely winning the Cup made us more hungry for success.
"We were overawed by the occasion when we reached the final in 2022, and we learned not to play the occasion from that.
"This year things are going very well, the standard we're at right now is very good and we've a brilliant manager who is constantly pushing us on.
"We're happy with where we're at, but we're very aware that we are only at the half-way stage and there's a long way to go."
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