Ireland’s Jamie Finn on dreaded ACL setback: ‘I knew, I heard a pop’

For the 26-year-old, February’s trip to Italy was supposed to be the start of a big year, with Eileen Gleeson’s side taking on three of the world’s top six sides in Nations League action before their huge play-off in October, as the side targets a first European Championship qualification.

But disaster struck during a training session one afternoon in Florence, on the eve of a friendly against the Italians. Just under two months since her operation, the Birmingham City player admits she knew straight away that it was serious.

“I’ve never done anything with my knee or anything but the minute (it happened), I knew. I heard a pop and a pop is not the best,” said Finn, speaking at the launch of the FAI Cadbury Kick Fit programme.

“I just went to press one of the girls, planted my foot and the knee just went in. There was no tackle, no contact, no nothing. I got a scan straight away and stayed with the team. I preferred to stay, see them play against the Italians then I came back home with them.

“Yeah (it was mentally tough), because my whole life is football, and then not going to training and not seeing the girls, I’m just back at home, it was a shift in mentality. But anyone who knows me knows it’s ‘right, physio, let’s go, what am I doing next?’ - to get back on the pitch as soon as possible.

“I spoke to a couple of girls who’ve done it. Chloe Mustaki has done hers, Sav (Savannah McCarthy). It’s a long list of people, but it’s good to bounce stuff off them and see what their experiences were like. They’ve been really helpful.

“Friends and family (who helped too). I had my surgery back in Dublin so I was around family and that was so important, to be back living at home again.

“It was nice to be around family, because as a professional footballer you never really have a time to be a normal person, do normal people things and be around family for a long period of time. That was important for me to do.”

The Dubliner is understandably reluctant to commit to a timeline for her return to action, but with ACL injuries currently so widespread in women’s football, she’s keen to help others who are in the same boat.

“I would love, if I could help one person with this injury, I would love to help and go down and investigate why (they happen). I saw Lucy Bronze doing that (researching ACLs at university) and it’s brilliant. I would love to go down that route and try and help one player, if I could,” said Finn.

“I’m still finishing my UEFA B, so when I can get back on the pitch and move a bit more freely I’ll finish that off. I’d love to get into the media side of things and punditry and stuff like that.”

After opening the campaign with defeats to France and England last month, up next for the Girls in Green is a double-header against world number six side Sweden at the end of May.

“We need to realise they are two massive nations, France and England. To perform the way we did is only a positive,” she added.

“We went away to Sweden before and drew, so we need to home in on that. We want to beat all the teams we can, but coming into this, it’s a big game and the girls know that, but I don't think there will be too much pressure. We’ll go out and play the way we can.”

While Finn is taking things one day at a time for now, one target she has her sights set on is Switzerland 2025.

“The minute the injury happened I was counting down the months to the Euros. As a footballer you want to be at World Cups and Euros, that's what you work towards. Fingers crossed (I’ll be) at the Euros.”