Naoisha McAloon explained

Naoisha McAloon
Birth Date:17 March 1999
Birth Place:Dublin, Ireland
Position:Goalkeeper
Youthclubs1:Castlenock Celtic
Youthclubs2:Peamount United
Clubs1:Peamount United
Years1:2016–2022
Clubs2:Durham
Years2:2022–2024
Caps2:51
Goals2:0
Clubs3:Burnley
Years3:2024-
Caps3:0
Goals3:0
Nationalteam1:Ireland
Nationalyears1:2022–
Nationalcaps1:0
Nationalgoals1:0
Pcupdate:13:07, 10 January 2023 (UTC)
Ntupdate:13:07, 10 January 2023 (UTC)

Naoisha McAloon (born March 17, 1999) is an Irish footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Women's National Legague club Burnley and for the Republic of Ireland national team.

Club career

Early career

McAloon played for Castleknock Celtic at youth level and attended Matt Gregg's Just4Keepers coaching school in Blanchardstown.[1]

Peamount United

McAloon played for Peamount United from 2016 to 2022. In 2017, her team won second place after a defeat by Shelbourne in the National League Cup. In 2018, her team won against Wexford Youths to win the WNL Cup title.

Peamount signed Niamh Reid Burke in 2018 and she shared the club's goalkeeping position with McAloon thereafter.[2] The club were Women's National League Champions in 2019 and McAloon was named in the WNL Team of the Season,[3] although Reid Burke played in the decisive 8–1 win over Cork City[4] and the 2019 FAI Cup final defeat by Wexford Youths.[5]

The duo continued to rotate the starting goalkeeping position as Peamount United secured a League and Cup "double" in their 2020 campaign. Reid Burke was preferred as Peamount beat Cork City 6–0 in the 2020 FAI Women's Cup Final[6] and for November's UEFA Champions League fixture with Scottish Women's Premier League club Glasgow City, which was lost on penalties after a 0–0 draw.[7]

In 2021, the goalkeeper rotation continued, with McAloon chosen to start the 5–2 UWCL defeat by ŽFK Spartak Subotica in August 2021.[8]

Durham

thumb|McAloon and team mates at Lewes WFC in 2023In January 2022, McAloon switched to Durham.[9] In October 2022, she made two saves as Durham upset Super League club Manchester United on a penalty shootout in the 2022–23 FA Women's League Cup.[10]

Burnley

Following the expiration of her contract with Durham in July 2024, McAloon joined Burnley in the National League Northern Premier Division

International career

Junior

McAloon represented Ireland at youth level while she attended Ratoath College.[11] She progressed to represent the Republic of Ireland national under-17 team[12] and later the Republic of Ireland national under-19 team.[13]

While enrolled at Technological University Dublin, McAloon was part of the Ireland Universities squad at the 2019 Summer Universiade.[14]

Senior

She received her first call-up to the senior Irish national team in June 2022.[15]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Naoisha selected for Ireland Under 17s Training Camp . 10 January 2023 . Just4Keepers.
  2. News: Walsh . Daire . Competition for places is helping raise the standard of the game says Peamount keeper . 10 January 2023 . . 24 July 2020.
  3. News: Champions Peamount United lead way on Team of the Year . 29 November 2020 . . 13 November 2019.
  4. News: Peamount crush Cork to claim National League title . 7 November 2020 . . 27 October 2019.
  5. News: Duffy . Emma . Kelly inspires Wexford Youths to FAI Cup title defence in five-goal thriller at the Aviva . 13 December 2022 . The42.ie . . 3 November 2019.
  6. News: Malone . Emmet . Stephanie Roche tees things up perfectly as Peamount wrap up double . 12 December 2020 . . 12 December 2020.
  7. News: Malone . Emmet . Peamount United suffer shoot-out heartbreak in Glasgow . 11 April 2021 . . 4 November 2020.
  8. News: Fallon . John . Naoisha McAloon confirms move to Championship contenders Durham . 10 January 2023 . . 4 January 2022.
  9. Web site: Donnelly . David . 2022-01-04 . Peamount lose safe pair of hands as keeper Naoisha McAloon joins Durham . 2023-01-07 . DublinLive . en.
  10. News: Durham Women 2 – 2 Manchester United Women . 10 January 2023 . . 26 October 2022.
  11. Web site: #1 Naoisha McAloon . 10 January 2023 . FAI Schools.
  12. News: Women U17s lose to Republic of Ireland: 3–0 . 10 January 2023 . . 21 October 2015.
  13. News: Ireland U19 women edge closer to Euros dream . 10 January 2023 . . 21 October 2017.
  14. Web site: Match Report Irl v Bra 3:0 . . 6 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190715100344/https://results.universiade2019napoli.it/assets/pdf/FBLWTEAM11------------GPC-000100--_73%201.0.pdf . 15 July 2019 . 2 July 2019.
  15. Web site: Naoisha McAloon Football Association of Ireland . 2023-01-07 . www.fai.ie.