Rebecca Creagh: 'I’m very proud of Katie McCabe and I’m buzzing to see how she gets on in a few weeks’ time'

McCabe holding Irish World Cup Jersey with Pauw

Katie McCabe with Irish Manager Vera Pauw Credit: Conor Ryan (ETPhotos)

Rebecca Creagh spoke of her pride to see former teammate and friend Katie McCabe lead the Irish team as captain ahead of next month’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. 

Creagh was on the latest episode of the extratime.com  podcast to discuss Vera Pauw’s squad selection ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

One of the first names on the squad sheet would have been Irish captain Katie McCabe. The former Shelbourne player is a former teammate of McCabe’s back in her League of Ireland days. 

“I know Katie since she was 14, 15, I brought her on her first night out in town!” joked Creagh. 

The Arsenal star’s rise to the top of the women’s game began at 16-years-old when she donned the jersey of Raheny United in the Women’s National League. Creagh explains how their friendship began with lifts to training.

“I know Katie a long time, she’s from Kilnamanagh, I’m from Walkinstown. I used to bring her to training all the time. She’s a really, really good friend of mine now. 

“It’s just been amazing to watch her evolve; I remember back when I was captain of Raheny at the time, her coming in and it was not a bother to her. Her first girls’ team was at Templeogue United as was mine”.

Creagh revealed her first impression of the Irish captain when she broke into the Raheny side as a teenager, “Watching her coming in that raw. She was quite rugged and threw herself around and not a bother to her at the young age. She had the cheeky tab put on her very early. She was fearless. 

“Having her out on that left wing, I think I shouted at her more times for shooting when she could have crossed! But look, it just showed her confidence at that young age.”

After a brief stint at Shelbourne, McCabe went professional and signed for English giants Arsenal in 2015. It wasn’t an easy ride after relocating to North London. Injuries in first couple of seasons at the club meant she was a periphery figure. Creagh credits a change of management while on loan in Scotland as key for her turnaround at the Gunners. 



“I know it wasn’t easy going across to Arsenal initially”, said Creagh. “I only met up with her a couple days ago for a coffee, to see how far she has come, and she had that struggle at Arsenal, went off to Glasgow on loan and grew through that season. 

“(She) got a couple goals there. There was a change of management at Arsenal that worked in her favour. Got on really well with Joe Montemurro (former Arsenal Head Coach) at Arsenal”. 

At international level, McCabe received her first cap in 2015 under Sue Ronan. Two years later at the age of 21 years old, then national team manager Colin Bell appointed her as captain after the retirement of Arsenal legend Emma Byrne to the surprise of her former teammate Creagh. 

“To see her get the captaincy so young, we were all a bit shell shocked. We were like “Jesus that’s a huge statement to make’. Colin Bell bringing her in, maybe we were thinking Diane Caldwell or Louise Quinn, Aine (O’Gorman), Niamh Fahey all these people that seemed naturally to come after Emma Byrne”.  

She continued, “But to see someone put that much confidence in such a young player, a player that has that bit of edge about them. A bit of grit. I don’t know, a lot of people say we kind of put that into our players at Raheny, I don’t know how true that is. Noelle Murray might be the one to take ownership of that one. 

Despite the fame and media attention that comes with being the Irish captain that is leading her country to their first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup down under, Creagh compliments the former Raheny player for never forgetting her humble beginnings. 



“Just to see her, she does not care. She’s still the same girl I know from 14 from Kilnamanagh. She’s never forgot where she’s came from. She’s none of these air of graces on the pitch, its fantastic to see, that ‘fighting Irish’ as they say in an inverted comma’s. I’m very proud of her, and I’m buzzing to see how she gets on in a few weeks’ time”. 

Looking ahead to the highly anticipated opening game against the hosts Australia where an attendance of over 82,000 is expected, the position of McCabe is a talking point. 

Under the stewardship of Pauw, McCabe has frequently featured as a left wing back in the Irish managers favourite formation of 5-3-2. However, Creagh would prefer to see the Arsenal midfielder play in a more offensive role at the tournament.

“It will be interesting to see. For me I think she will possibly start there in that left wing back position”, reveals Creagh. “All going well I would love to see her going higher up the pitch which I think is her best position, left or right side (off the striker). 

“It’s just she (Vera Pauw) does like that three at the back and the two wing backs. More a five at the back. To me that’s where she will play to start off. I would love to see her getting higher up, she’s such a threat. She has seven, eight goals across the (qualifying) campaign along with Denise O’Sullivan.” 

To listen to the entire conversation with Rebecca Creagh and her thoughts on the Irish World Cup Squad, tune into the latest episode of the extratime.com podcast.

About Luke Jordan

Luke joined the extratime.com team in 2022 and is the current host of the extratime.com podcast.

He’s been a follower of the league since 2007 after the FAI Soccer camps gave out … View Full Profile