October 27, 2000

Opel's Ireland Player of the Year nominees

By Declan Hughes

The nominees for the Women's category Senior International Player of
the Year 2000 are the following:- Margaret Saurin (Fortuna Hjorring
Denmark), Ciara Grant (Arsenal) and Yvonne Treacy (Arsenal)

Margaret Saurin

A former D.I.T. Student who also represnted the Irish Combined Colleges. Mags played club football in Ireland with both Hamman Celtic and Shamrock Rovers , and had a spell in the United States with Springfield Sirens. She is a prolific scorer at club level and a creator of goal scoring chances for her Country. She won the National League United sponsored D.W.S.L. Player of the Year in 1999.

Ciara Grant

She began her career with Benfica LFC in her native Waterford and also had a spell with St.Patrick's Athletic. A talented midfielder she was recently appointed captain of her country and is in her third season with the Gunners and has won 2 F.A. Women's League Cups and 1 Womens F.A. Cup medal to date. Ciara won L.F.A.I. Cup medals at senior and Under 18 level while with Benfica. Skippered the succesful Celt Cup winning squad.

Yvonne Treacy
She began her career in her native Limerick , before being spotted by one of Ireland's leading clubs Lifford from Ennis in County Clare. She won numerous under age Cups and Senior Limerick League and Cup titles with her former club. She also has won under age International Honours with The Banner women and moved to Arsenal this summer. She has been a fixture in the senior side for the last twelve months and was a member fo the Celt Cup squad.

The nominees for the Under-18 International Player
of the Year 2000 are Susan Heapes (Arsenal), Caroline Thorpe(Arsenal) and Louise Henchy( Lifford).

Susan Heapes
She is currently the International team's left back. She began her career with St. Catherine's in her native Dublin for whom she lined out, at one time or another, in all eleven playing positions during her career. She won numerous Under Age League and Cup medals with Saints and title last summer before moving to helped them to the Premier A Division Arsenal. Helped the Under 18's to the 3rd Qualifying Group (quarter-final) phase earlier this year. She was a member of the Senior squad that won the Celt Cup in September.

Louise Henchy
She is a first year student at University of Limerick., and is the captain of the Lifford side that won the L.F.A.I. Under 18 and Intermediate Cups last season. They also added the Limerick Ladies Senior league and Cup titles to the list in 2000. An accomplished central defender, she leads by example.

Caroline Thorpe
She began her career with Redlake and moved to St. Catherine's for the 1999 Season. Despite her tender years she has played Premier and Premier A Division soccer with the Saints and helped them to the Premier A Division before moving to Arsenal in August. Caroline scored 2 goals for the Senior squad in the recent Celt Cup success.