Ruesha Littlejohn has called for an overhaul of how women's football is coached in Ireland in the wake of the failure to qualify for Euro 2025.
Nursing a tender Achilles, the 34-year-old midfielder still managed 72 minutes of the 2-1 loss to Wales at Aviva Stadium before making way for Megan Connolly.
She watched the frantic denouement from the sideline as Eileen Gleeson's side, desperately looking to claw back a two-goal deficit, bombarded the Welsh goal with set-piece deliveries and Megan Campbell long throws.
It paid some dividends, with Anna Patten's 86th-minute header cutting the deficit, but did Ireland abandon their principles too early in favour of a more direct approach?
The Scottish-born midfielder said she thought falling behind to a VAR-awarded penalty rattled Ireland, but then went on to offer a long-term solution.
"We had moments at the end as we gave it our all but if I'm being honest I think it rattled us a bit. None of us saw it coming," she said.
"In Irish football, we need to look at the grassroots. Change our game, change our style. Look at the best teams, they're all so comfortable on the ball.
"I think that's the journey we're on now and it starts with the young ones. Everyone has to get more better on the ball.
"Yeah we can be hard, we can be resilient, we put our bodies on the line. Yeah we have Megan's throws and we have big girls who can win headers, but if we need to go to these big tournaments we need to do more," added the London Lionesses player, who was unhappy with the penalty awarded against Patten for handball.
'Devastated, we fell short tonight'
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 3, 2024
Ireland midfielder Ruesha Littlejohn reflects on missing out on the Euros and the fateful VAR call early in the second half
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"It's dreadful. Patsy goes up to head the ball and it's hit her arm. I don't know how you jump these days. Is there a new rule that you jump with your arms by your sides?"
Littlejohn, who will take time to consider her own international future, paid tribute to Wales.
"The team is devastated, we fell short tonight. Credit to Wales, they took their chances in the first half. I thought we played well in the first half, we had a few good moments but you need to take your chances in these big games.
"We all thought we were going [to Switzerland], we gave it our all but we weren't good enough."
