Callaghan retires from international scene

Marissa Callaghan has today announced her retirement from international football.

The Cliftonville Ladies midfielder made 91 appearances for Northern Ireland Women and captained the team on 52 occasions.

The most capped player in the history of Ireland’s Oldest Football Club, Marissa’s first international outing came in a friendly against Scotland in May 2010 and she marked her maiden appearance as skipper by scoring twice in a European Championship qualifying victory over Georgia six years later – two of eight goals she recorded on Northern Ireland duty.

As well as being one of six Cliftonville players in the squad at Euro 2022 – the highest Club representation in the NI panel – and contributing to the Reds providing more players at the competition than the likes of AC Milan, Ajax and Liverpool, Callaghan also had the distinction of skippering the side through their landmark first steps at a major tournament.

Her last Northern Ireland appearance came in a goalless draw with Malta at Windsor Park in April of last year and, though she is stepping away from the international stage, Cliftonville fans can look forward to the 39-year-old bidding to make more history at Club level, where she has played an integral role in not only the development of our Ladies team and Girls Academy set-up, but also in the numerous trophy triumphs the senior team have celebrated in recent years.

A valuable member of the invincible Sports Direct Women’s Premiership Champions side that also clinched Irish Cup and League Cup glory last season, Marissa will be part of the Reds squad set to return to the Champions League stage in the coming months – two years on from becoming one of three goalscorers during the Club’s debut sojourn in Europe.

All at Cliftonville FC congratulate Marissa on a wonderful legacy in international football.