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Ireland head coach Carla Ward has lauded the ‘sensational’ Katie McCabe for all that she has done for football in this country, with the skipper set to win her 100th cap in Belgium on Tuesday evening. Ward’s team holds a two-goal advantage ahead of the second leg of the Nations League promotion/relegation playoff after McCabe’s majestic display inspired Ireland to a 4-2 win over the higher-ranked Belgians in the Aviva Stadium on Friday. The Ireland boss texted her captain following the game to tell her she led the group better than she had seen anyone lead a team before, and she expects McCabe to set the tone as she becomes the latest female centurion against the Red Flames at Den Dreef Stadium in Leuven. ‘What she did the other night, and I said this to her in a text message, she led that group and the nation better that I’ve seen anybody lead a team before. I don’t think you can give her any higher plaudits,’ Ward said. ‘Katie’s a joy to work with because she’s very honest and very direct – I love those types of players. I think what she’s done for football in this country has been sensational. ‘What she did the other night, and the way that she led that team, was something else. You probably couldn’t give her enough credit for that but she will tell you, and I will tell you, she’ll want to do it again and make sure we get that over the line in this game.’ The Ireland captain admitted the epic 4-2 win over Belgium will be a night that will be fondly remembered, but only if they go and finish the job this evening and ensure they get into Nations League and, as a result, be guaranteed at least a play-off for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. ‘Friday was incredible,’ McCabe pointed out. ‘Over the whole night, we had those goals to share with our fans. But it means nothing if we don’t get a result here. So, my sole focus is ensuring we’re prepared and ready to go mentally as a team.’ McCabe made her senior Ireland debut against Hungary more than a decade ago and was made national team captain at just 21 by then-manager Colin Bell. This evening, she becomes part of an exclusive club that have played 100 times for their country as she joins Denise O’Sullivan, Ciara Grant, Emma Byrne, Niamh Fahey, Louise Quinn, Diane Caldwell and Aine O’Gorman on the list of Irish centurions. In nearly a decade with Arsenal, McCabe has collected plenty of accolades, including a Champions League winners medal and becoming the first Irish footballer since Roy Keane to make the Ballon d’Or shortlist, but she insists that representing Ireland remains the thing she holds most precious. ‘First and foremost, when you are wearing that green jersey, there is a weight and a responsibility,’ the Ireland captain explained. ‘It’s a very sacred thing and not everybody gets the opportunity to do that. So, to say I’m about to do it for a 100th time is a massive honour and something I’m very, very grateful for. 'And if I look at the girls who’ve done that before me, only seven, they are absolutely legends of the game. They are players that I’ve looked up to my whole career and learned a lot from. ‘With that comes responsibility. There will be younger players looking up to me and seeing what I do on and off the pitch; how I carry myself, how I behave in and around camp. 'I don’t take that lightly. I make sure I’m doing the right thing, staying professional and working as hard as I possibly can when it comes to games. All I can do is give my all.’
