Former Northern Ireland senior women’s team captain Marissa Callaghan has announced her retirement from international football.
The 39-year-old Cliftonville Ladies midfielder said it was the right time to end her international career.
Callaghan, who was made an MBE for services to football and the community in The King’s New Year Honours list, announced last May that she would be relinquishing the armband after 52 games and eight years as captain of the Northern Ireland senior women’s team
She won 91 caps for her country, scoring eight goals. She made her international debut in a friendly against Scotland in May 2010 and she first captained the team in June 2016 in a European Championship qualifier against Georgia. She scored twice in a 4-0 home victory against the Georgians.
Callaghan said: “Putting on the green jersey is a feeling that you cannot explain, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a friendly game, a game at the Euros or a competitive game.
“When you walk out onto that pitch and cross that white line, it’s just the feeling of immense pride. It’s an incredible feeling and I’m so thankful that I got to do that 91 times.”
And the former national team skipper, who works as a women’s and girls’ football administrator with the Irish FA Foundation, added: “As a player I’ve achieved more than I could ever imagine, as a person as well and as a coach.
“When I was younger, football did so much for me. I’m in the job that I’m in, I’ve got the incredible career that I’ve had in football. I’m me because of football.”
Her high point as captain came when she led the senior women’s team to their first major tournament, UEFA Women’s Euro 2022.