Holloway 'couldn't have planned' better Northern Ireland debut

Born in Nailsea, Holloway qualifies for Northern Ireland through her grandmother from her mother’s side.

And ever since playing football as a young girl in North Somerset, Holloway was never involved in England set-ups, but after turning 16 she was offered the chance to play for Northern Ireland under-19s, an opportunity she jumped at and one she never looked back on.

But, this is not the first time Holloway has been called up by her country after being named in the squad for friendlies against Wales and Norway in 2019, a few weeks after being signed by Birmingham City Women following the completion of her studies in the United States.

Rebecca Holloway during training before Northern Ireland women's friendly with England women. (Image: Image courtesy of @NorthernIreland)
“I didn’t mentally feel ready and I knew that if I stepped onto that pitch I wouldn’t have given a performance I wanted to give. Being able to get my first call-up in a couple of years now against such a top side like England I couldn’t have planned my debut any better,” said Holloway.

“It was almost meant to be coming up against a team like that. I do feel in form at the minute with the club and I’m playing 90 minutes every week. I want to keep that position, I want to keep starting and obviously getting called up now it just felt right compared to back then in the camp for Wales and Norway.

“I just did not feel ready and if I had come on to make my debut I wouldn’t have felt like I did the other day playing against England.

“When I look back on it now and the place I was in back then there is no way I would not have been able to put in the performance I would have wanted. It’s showed how far I have come in the last year and a half.”

But playing for her country almost never happened after Holloway missed a phone call from Green and White Army manager Kenny Shiels whilst cleaning in the kitchen!

After calling him back, Holloway was told the good news of being called up.

The 25-year-old, who was one of seven changes in the squad, had to travel to Belfast by plane to prepare for the friendly, which Holloway called a 'surreal experience' with everything closed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

After training in Northern Ireland’s capital, the side headed to St George’s Park where each member of the squad had their own room.

And it was here that Holloway found out she was staring the game after playing in two 90-minute training games and being put in with players Shiels wanted to start, thus giving her a week to mentally prepare against the Lionesses.

Rebecca Holloway lining up for Northern Ireland women ahead of their friendly with England Women at St George's Parker where she is the last on the right of the back row. (Image: Image courtesy of @NorthernIreland)

She added: “I don’t think it hit me until I was walking out on the pitch before the anthems because, even in the warm-up, I was treating it like any other game, I was just focused and not really thinking who my opponent was.

“It was an amazing feeling, I knew it was such an honour and experience to be there and play against a side like that and being able to represent my county as well in the process, it was definitely an honour.”

However, England, in Hege Riise's first game as temporary boss after replacing Phil Neville until Sarina Wiegman takes charge after this year’s summer Olympics, came away with a 6-0 win.

There were three goals scored in each half, as Ellen White scored a hat-trick and further efforts from Lucy Bronze, Rachel Daly and an Ella Toone penalty completed the scoring.

“It helps gauge where you are at in your playing career and your ability," added Holloway.

“Obviously when you are playing amongst the best that’s the best way to showcase what you are also about. You know where you are at and if you are able to compete with them.

"I took it as a great test to see what I can do up against the best in the world. A lot of players that went up against them are playing semi-professional football.

"Some of them are police officers and nurses, they have part-time jobs alongside their football and I think players like that, to go up against some of the best in the world and put in a good performance against them really shows their ability, capability, and not only that the passion they have for their country and to represent them as best they can.

“For me, especially, I knew it was going to be a test coming up against Lucy Bronze and Chloe Kelly, two players in great form because they were playing on the side I was defending as left-back and I knew it was going to be a test.

Rachel Daly of England is tackled by Rebecca Holloway of Northern Ireland during the Women's International Friendly at St Georges Park, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. Picture date: Tuesday February 23, 2021. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

“I thought 'you know what. I’m ready to take on this test because if I can compete with the likes of Lucy Bronze, Rachel Daly, Chloe Kelly I can take on any player'.”

After finishing in second place in Group C of the European Championship qualifying competition, Northern Ireland secured a play-off spot, to be played over two legs, for a chance of reaching the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 finals.

Already at their highest ranking of 49, they have Switzerland, Portugal, Russia, Czech Republic and Ukraine as potential opponents to play as they look to reach a major tournament for the first time ever, which will be held in England next summer.

And Holloway hopes she will be able to be included more now she has her first international under her belt and has set a target of playing more in the future.

“It would be amazing, Northern Ireland has made history in the past year with what they have accomplished during this process and I think all the girls are so ready for the play-offs. Even though we had this defeat (to England) every game is a learning experience leading into the play-offs,” she added.

“Even though it was a heavy defeat we can learn from it and be better prepared now to come up against whoever we face in the play-offs.

“Everyone in their career wants these moments and these opportunities and if I can do that obviously I would love to be able to say I’ve had that experience in my career.

“Everyone playing professional football lives for these moments and to get that under my belt would of course be amazing. To say I’ve been able to represent in a major tournament or just even the play-off stages is definitely something to be proud of in your professional career for sure.

“I hope that is the case and I hope I have proved myself to be a regular in the camps, I want to obviously keep adding caps to my name and I want to keep being involved and representing my country, that’s definitely something I want and I hope I have proved that to the manager.

“I want to keep pushing on in international football now. This is hopefully just the start and I want to keep going.”