Footballer Stephanie Roche has admitted it was “an emotional day” when she hung up her football boots for the final time.

On Saturday, the Shamrock Rovers star played her final match in Tallaght, Dublin.

Speaking to Miriam O’Callaghan on her RTE Radio 1 show on Sunday, the 35-year-old said: “Yeah, it was an emotional day overall. I think for me it was difficult because I’m so competitive so I wanted to obviously prepare for the match in the right way but there was so much going on.

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“So definitely I think for the first few minutes of the game, for the first time in my career, I was actually quite nervous, which is a strange feeling.

“It was all a little bit crazy, but it was a really good day. It was brilliant to have all my family there and so many people turned up for the game too, which is great.”

Stephanie said it was “really special” getting a standing ovation for the crowd as she came off the pitch for the final time, adding she felt a “sense of happiness” she got to go out “on my own terms.”

Speaking about life after football, Stephanie said she hopes to start a family someday soon.

“Look, there is no pressure and please god we will be able to do it at some stage and it will happen naturally but definitely that was part of my thoughts, definitely.,

“It is something that I would like to be able to do and I’m obviously not getting any younger,” she added.

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