Stephanie Roche has labelled Kenny Shiels' controversial assertion as 'the worst thing I've heard in football.'
The Northern Ireland women's manager sparked outrage when he suggested that women footballers are more likely to lose their heads and concede goals in quick succession than their male counterparts.
He was speaking in the aftermath of watching his side lose 5-0 to England last night.
The veteran manager has since apologised for his remarks where he spoke of a supposed 'emotional imbalance' that women possess compared to men.
Peamount United star Roche spoke to Claire Byrne about how ridiculous the assertion was especially coming from someone with a prominent role within the women's game.
She said: "I genuinely cannot believe he has come out with that as manager of the Northern Ireland women’s national team.
"He would have been better to come out and say they were beaten by a superior team.
"To blame the loss on emotional women is the worst thing I have ever heard in football. I cannot believe he has come out with that.
"I don’t know Kenny but for him to say something like that is disrespectful. It is stereotypical.
"Football is a very emotional game and that happens in the men’s game so for him to come out and talk about the defeat in the way he did and blame it on emotions and women is (wrong). Honest to God, I cannot believe he said that.
"It does happen in football where you a goal and switch off for a minute and the other team come and score.
"I have never heard it being blamed on emotions in terms of, particularly women, because, as I said, it happens in the men’s game as well.
"For me, it was a strange thing for him to say. Ironically, he is probably emotional himself after the game.
"It is disappointing. Our team has made great strides over the last number of years and the reaction shows people have started taking women’s football a little bit more seriously.
"There’s a few who have said: 'He is telling the truth, he is not wrong.'
"But most people realise football is an emotional game — it happens in both men’s and women’s football — and to blame it on women being emotional is a strange way to look at it."
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
