Vera Pauw says today’s return to the Ireland squad is a reward for the patience and perseverance that Stephanie Roche has shown over the past two-and-a-half years.
Roche has been recalled for Ireland’s World Cup qualifier away to Georgia later this month.
The Peamount United striker is one of 27 players on today’s flight to Turkey for the team’s training camp in Antalya.
She won the last of her 55 caps in the November 2019 draw away to Greece - a result that proved costly in Ireland’s bid to qualify for this summer’s delayed European Championships.
Pauw said: “Stephanie is a fantastic person and a fantastic athlete. She's always there.
“I had to disappoint her many times. We've always kept very good contact. I've always explained to her where she stands. I was always honest and she was always honest to me.
“It's a reward for her hard work because she kept working and hoping that there would be a moment that we needed her again.
“She wanted to keep going and this is a reward for all of her hard work.
“She was always there at the home-based sessions, always there to have extra training, always there at any moment.”
Roche sealed her place in the squad with her performances in a couple of training games, ahead of today’s flight to Turkey.
Kyra Carusa’s injury left Pauw short of attacking target player options.
The Ireland boss has also handed Durham goalkeeper Naoisha McAloon her first call-up, while defender Diane Caldwell returns after missing the draw away to Sweden in April.
Wexford Youths duo Aoibheann Clancy and Ellen Molloy are unavailable as they are sitting their Leaving Cert.
Injuries rule Savannah McCarthy, Megan Campbell, Aoife Colvill, Rianna Jarrett, Leanne Kiernan and Kyra Carusa out of the June 27 clash in Gori.
Ireland will take on the Philippines on Sunday in Antalya as part of their preparations for the game, before arriving in Tbilisi on Saturday week.
Pauw expects a tougher challenge from Ireland’s hosts than in last year’s 11-0 thumping of Georgia in Tallaght.
“That's the danger, eh? Don't forget that Sweden in the first game won only 4-0 and Finland only 3-0 in their first game, so it's not a walkover by definition, not at all,” she warned.
“Every piece of the puzzle must fall in place like it did in our first game against Georgia.
“It was a combination of them not expecting us to be that good and us having played an exceptional game.
“I think that combination was there and again, we don't have rhythm. We will have one game in our legs.
“We played with the players here two times against boys [under-15s from Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers], that is fantastic.
“So we need to see where we get. The aim is first winning and if we get goals, then of course we keep on going. But the first aim is to get those three points.”
She selected the game against the Philippines to give her players some much-needed match practice, with many having finished their club season early last month.
“We could have chosen about 12 top countries, but at this stage, where we are in our fitness and preparation, we needed a team that could get us ready for Georgia,” she said.
“The Philippines came on our plate, so we were very happy.”
With Sweden securing qualification in their April draw with Ireland in Gothenburg, the challenge now is to claim a play-off spot.
And that means beating Georgia and Slovakia away, and avoiding defeat at home to Finland.
“We also need goals of course to do that because if we get stronger numbers too, you might skip the first round [of the play-offs],” explained Pauw.
“But it is extremely important for now that we focus on getting to the play-offs.
“And we have that in the back of our heads so it will not be that we take the foot off the gas if everything falls in place, but again the big danger is that you don't get that ball in the net.”
SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Megan Walsh (Brighton & Hove Albion), Grace Moloney (Reading), Naoisha McAloon (Durham)
Defenders: Jess Ziu (Shelbourne), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Diane Caldwell (Manchester United), Claire O’Riordan (MSV Duisburg), Jessie Stapleton (Shelbourne), Éabha O’Mahony (Boston College), Áine O’Gorman (Peamount United), Chloe Mustaki (Shelbourne)
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Jamie Finn (Birmingham City), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Roma McLaughlin (Connecticut Fusion), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City)
Forwards: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Amber Barrett (FC Koln), Abbie Larkin (Shelbourne), Stephanie Roche (Peamount United), Saoirse Noonan (Shelbourne)
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