Sport

Celts gear up for first international break of 2024

Published

9 months ago

February 21, 2024

As we prepare to round off the month of February, the first international break of 2024 is now upon us as several members of the Celtic FC Women’s squad get set to represent their nations.

Following their return from the winter break at the beginning of January, it has been a busy two months for the Ghirls.

Playing out eight fixtures across three competitions, there has also been plenty of change after the arrival of Elena Sadiku last month.

After getting the first win as Head Coach of the Celts, the Hoops have continued to progress under the new boss rounding off an unbeaten February with a strong performance in a 1-1 draw against Rangers at Ibrox.

While a number of members of Sadiku’s squad will return to action at the Excelsior Stadium on March 3, there are of six players who will be performing for their countries during the first international break of the year.

The year 2023 proved to be a landmark 12 months for several Celtic players on the international stage, and that momentum has continued into 2024.

Following on from her first appearances for Ireland, which included scoring on two occasions for her country, Caitlin Hayes has received a call-up to Eileen Gleeson’s first squad as permanent manager.

Rounding off an extremely successful Nations League campaign with wins over Hungary and Northern Ireland, Hayes and her international team-mates will take on Italy and Wales in friendly action over the coming week.

Another player who picked up her first cap at senior level last year was Jenny Smith, and she has received her second call-up for Scotland this month.

The 21-year-old midfielder will be aiming to add to those minutes as Pedro Martinez Losa’s squad head off to the Pinatar Cup, where they will face Philippines, and then one of either Slovakia or Finland.

Nour Imane Addi will also join up with her international team-mates this month, being named in the latest Morocco squad.

With a two-legged match-up against Tunisia on the horizon, Addi will be looking to play her part in helping her nation reach the Olympic Games in Paris this summer by sealing a place in the final stage of qualifying.

Alongside those involved in the senior set-ups, there are also a number of youngsters who will head off with Scotland under-19s for their latest international camp.

In preparation for their European Championship qualifiers in April, Lisa Rodgers, Clare Goldie and Tiree Burchill will all take part in a double-header of friendly matches against Wales this week.

It is set to be a busy week for all six players representing their nations over the coming seven days, and we wish them all the best of luck!

You can stay up to date with each players performs by keeping eye on our social media pages – @CelticFCWomen