HELPING Celtic make Women’s Champions League history by reaching its group stage for the first time has been more than a wow moment for Saoirse Noonan.
The midfielder and lifelong fan of the club has viewed this as a chance to prove the team’s doubters wrong.
In a group featuring Chelsea, Real Madrid and Dutch side FC Twente, the Hoops have been the underdogs.
While results have so far not gone their way with Celtic bottom after three defeats, they gave a decent account of themselves last Wednesday against Chelsea.
A slick first-half strike from Murphy Agnew at Celtic Park put the Scottish Women’s Premier team in the lead before the Blues battled back to a 2-1 victory.
Tonight Noonan’s side face Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge and aim “to put their best foot forward”.
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They face a tough challenge with their opponents yet to be beaten in the WSL or Europe this term.
The Blues have so far claimed ten wins across the board, including a 2-0 defeat of Manchester City on Saturday in the English top tier.
Noonan, who has made three Champions League appearances this term, said: “We have a big run of games.
“We treat every game the same regardless of whether we’re playing Chelsea or another team
“These fixtures coming up are huge for us. We’re going to put our best foot forward for the next few and see what happens.
“As a footballer your time is short and you want to be enjoying it and playing in these big games.
“These are unbelievable occasions and we’re definitely the underdogs, but we believe in ourselves and in our abilities.
“It’s 90 minutes so why not go and give it a bash and put everything we have, our heart and soul, into the game and see what we can do?”
For Noonan, whose senior club career began at Cork City in 2015, playing Champions League football has been since her days playing for Shelbourne.
During a loan move from Durham two years ago she was part of the Shelbourne side that qualified to play in the contest’s Champions Path rounds held in June 2022.
But her return from loan to the Women’s Championship side meant she would miss out on playing in the competition that year.
Noonan adds: “I actually never got to play in the Champions League with Shelbourne because I left that summer so I was only on the team that qualified for the competition.
Playing in the Champions League is one thing. Doing it for a club that you’ve always known growing up is something different.”
Battling Chelsea in the elite competition for women’s football clubs in Europe is an experience that Noonan has relished:
She said: “Playing a team that you watch weekly, and I’m not afraid to say I watch the Women’s Super League week-in, week-out.
“I admire all those girls, how athletic they are, how professional they are and what they’re doing for everyone in the women’s game.
“To be playing a part in that sometimes you have to take a step back and say, ‘wow I am there and I am playing against the best in the world’.
“We did really well to get this far. No one expected us to get here and no one expects us to win. Hopefully we can prove people wrong.”
Celtic etching their names into the history books by reaching the tournament’s group stage in September came two months after Noonan’s switch from Durham.
The versatile midfielder joined the club on a permanent three-year deal in July.
And she netted twice on her debut against Dundee United on August 10.
For the Republic of Ireland international who grew up in a family of Celtic fans, her move was an emotional moment.
Noonan adds: “When it was all happening before there were no papers signed, it was like ‘keep it hush hush’.
“They were asking, ‘is it definitely happening?’.
“Then we all went for dinner and it was on my birthday and I told the family that day.
“Everyone, including my granny, were a bit emotional because it meant a lot.
“Football is a tough game and things can go right and wrong.
“I’ve had my ups and my downs, it was just a really nice moment for everyone.
“I don’t think my uncles have called around my house so much when I’m home to see me just because I play for Celtic.”
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