Aston Villa defender Anna Patten given clearance to switch from England to Ireland as she joins squad for French tie

The 24-year-old defender required a change of association and is now deemed eligible for the Group A3 qualifiers, against France and England next Tuesday, for whom she captained their U-23 side.

Patten’s Irish roots connect back to her grandfather Donald Coyle, who hailed from Falcarragh in Donegal and her grandmother Bridie Coyle (nee Conroy), who was from Lettermore in Galway.

“I’m delighted to be in with the Ireland squad,” she said. “I was super excited when Eileen Gleeson gave me the call and now to have the clearance come through is great.

“This is a really strong squad and I just want to bring what I can to it to help the team. My grandparents have always been my greatest supporters and they have really motivated me to work hard to succeed in my career, so I’m delighted to be able to represent Ireland through them.”

Patten joined the Ireland squad today as they began preparations for their opening qualifiers in Group A3. Liverpool defender Niamh Fahey is having a calf injury assessed after being allowed to link up with the FAI medical staff by her club.

UEFA EURO 2025 Qualifier

Group A3

France v Ireland Friday, April 5 Saint-Smyphorien Stadium, Metz KO 20:10 (Irish Time) LIVE on RTÉ2

Ireland v England

Tuesday, April 9 Aviva Stadium KO 19:30 LIVE on RTÉ2