Katie McCabe: The kid with a cheeky smile who became a leader

As her club career begin to flourish, McCabe was already a star on the international stage.

When Emma Byrne retired, then manager Colin Bell had numerous options to succeed the legendary goalkeeper as national captain.

He turned to a talented, yet somewhat raw, 21-year-old, making McCabe the youngest captain in the history of the team.

Adding such pressure to any up-and-coming player is a risk, and McCabe admitted she suffered from “imposter syndrome” when she was first handed the armband.

McQuillan says McCabe’s character has helped her make the role her own and helped her take her game to the next level.

“For a young girl she had, and still does, a big presence about her but I didn’t see the qualities she now has coming out as early as they did,” he says.

“For me, there was a risk taken on her with the Ireland captaincy and she has excelled at it. As she has matured, you can see her leadership qualities grow.

“What I saw in her was a desire to win. Despite the cheeky, impish grin, when she got on the pitch she wanted to be the best she could be and she wanted her team to be the best around her.

“There was a big team spirit and playing for the team. She would drag people along with her.

“There was the acknowledgement on her part of the team’s importance in getting her to where she wanted to be.”