Julie-Ann Russell has rightly captured the imagination of the country with her triumphant return to the Ireland set-up. She got back to the summit through hard work, dedication and talent that showed itself in blistering form at the start of this season.
It is not forgotten in Galway circles however, that another tearing it up at the same time was Jenna Slattery, who has been a revelation in her 18 months Corribside.
The scorer of the winner against Rovers, Slattery had six goals in her first six games this season. She has scarcely slowed down, her tally now standing at 10 in 16. All of that coming from midfield.
Yet, Phil Trill’s mantra of progression seems to have taken root in the mind of the dead-ball specialist. Rather than focusing on her individual contribution, Slattery was keen to address the spirit of the squad and her pride in their response to a recent bad run of results.
Slattery said: “I think it shows where we stand as a club. All the girls have stood by each other and that is what has brought us back together. I always say that there is a great togetherness in Galway United. You can have a little blip but once you stay together, anything can happen”.
United have showed themselves capable of beating Saturday’s opponents twice this season but Slattery focus is clear. “Shamrock Rovers are a quality side. They always give 100%. It is going to be a tough game. We will focus on ourselves. If we put in a performance and work hard, anything can happen”.
Despite this maturity, there is a charming reminder of her youth and excitement when she reflects on her squad’s trip to Cork to cheer on Julie-Ann Russell. “It’s incredible. We got a bus down. You could have seen on my face how excited I was for Julie-Ann. She is a real special character for our team. We were all buzzing for her. I don’t think any of us stopped smiling for the two weeks”.
She understands that she too is a role model and is touched by the reception that her performances and her character have received in Galway.
“As a Limerick girl playing with Galway, seeing kids with the number 6 on the back of the jerseys after games, it really brings awe to you. These girls really do look up to you. It’s not until you really reflect and think about it that you realise how much it can affect little girls. It’s a motivational boost to keep going”.
Her story of sacrifice to play the game she loves and be the best she can be is in turn extremely motivational. “Travelling up from home, having college and work to balance as well is difficult. If someone asks me how do I keep going, I look back and think what would I do if I didn’t have all these. It wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t always on the go. I like to keep myself occupied so I wouldn’t have it any other way”.
She is at once an entirely relatable personality equipped with talents that are extraordinarily rare. If United are to succeed on Saturday, there is likely to be a Slattery slant to the story.
