Shauna Fox is delighted to be appointed Galway WFC captain for the 2021 season.
A promising teenager in 2013 when Galway WFC entered national competition for the first time, Fox has made a significant contribution.
Hope is attached to Billy Clery’s team for the upcoming campaign with a blend of established and emerging players combining.
“We have a good mix,” Fox says. “We have Keara Cormican, Tessa Mullins, Meabh De Burca, and Lynsey McKey, we have a good group of experience along with the youth.
“We are only growing more and more each season so hopefully this season is where we start picking up points, competing against the big teams. In order to be a big team you have to be beating the teams above you. Hopefully that is what we are going to start doing.”
There is a strong and increasing belief in the west that Galway WFC, who face Athlone Town in a friendly on Saturday, can make a real impact in the coming months.
“Definitely, last season was probably the closest we have been to the top three teams,” Fox states. “I know we finished fifth in the end, but in terms of results we never really suffered a heavy loss bar Shelbourne where we had a really bad day up there towards the end of the season.
“Other than that I think we were really competitive. We like to make it hard for teams that come to Galway and I have a good feeling about this season. I think this is when we are going to start taking points off those teams, making a name for ourselves.”
In 2012 Fox, who was featuring for impressive Dominican College outfits, featured for Castlebar Celtic before Galway entered the league.
“I didn't start soccer until I was 12,” Fox reveals. “I was playing camogie from a very young age, when I was five I started playing camogie.
“I played Gaelic too, when I went into secondary school that is when I started playing soccer really. From there I joined Salthill Devon and played schools soccer too.
“I started with Castlebar when I was 16, Jeremy Dee brought me in. The following year Galway formed, it was only natural I would join Galway as that is where I'm from. Every season the quality, promotion wise the league is getting better, and I'm delighted to be part of it.”
Relishing the challenge of operating with Galway in the WNL, Fox remains optimistic about the considerable potential in the squad.
“We had a good start to the season last year. when we broke away into the top half for the second part of the season I think we took one or two losses and the heads stayed down,” Fox remarks.
“We never really came back to winning ways after it. That is something we have to work on this year regarding consistency. Hopefully with a good pre-season under our belt with our mix of youth and experience coming together we can do well.”
