“Money really does make the world go round, for any sport.”
Her’s March digital cover star is Irish footballer and AYA ambassador Amber Barrett.
Amber Barrett has gained a lot of well-deserved attention recently and as her career soars to new levels, she reflects on the path that took her here.
Following her epic goal against Scotland which secured Ireland their place in the World Cup, Amber is truly making a name for herself in women’s sport.
Speaking to Amber is a breath of fresh air. Interviewing her didn’t feel like work, but rather a catch up with a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time.
As her soft Donegal accent powered through the phone, the only word you can use to describe this woman is humble.
Preparing to head down under for this year’s Women’s World Cup, Amber tells us that she won’t let the pressure of her most memorable goal get to her for the tournament.
“I don’t want to be remembered for one goal.”
“It can be very difficult because I’m very ambitious and I want to do as much as I can, I don’t want to be remembered for one goal against Scotland – as monumental as and brilliant as it was,” Amber said.
“I don’t want that to be the only thing people associate with me. I hope there will be a lot more goals, especially a lot more for Ireland. I don’t feel pressure with it, that’s not my ticket to the World Cup. The reason to go is that [I’m] capable, [I’ve] done well, [I’ve] worked really, really hard and deserve to go. That’s the only way I would want to go.”
Women’s sport has seen a considerable increase in support and funding over the last number of years, particularly in Ireland. While there is still a long way to go, Amber acknowledges the progress that football has seen.
“Personally, to see changes happen over the last three or four years, it’s been much better. I think that’s the big reason why there are so many female athletes, they’re taking centre stage in a lot of tournaments and competitions that are happening.
“Women will always succeed when given the right opportunity. The last couple of years has really shown that. We still have a bit to go in terms of how women’s sport can be improved.
“It will take a little bit of time but as long as the change finally comes, I think we’re going in the right direction. Money really does make the world go round, for any sport. If you give money to anything, they will thrive with it. It’s not perfect but progress is progress.”
Ireland’s win against Scotland last year was a massive triumph – but it was ultimately met with quite a bit of controversy.
Following the win, the women’s team were recorded singing Celtic Symphony by The Wolfe Tones in the dressing room and were forced to apologise for the incident.
Looking back on the decision, Amber said: “One thing I really admire about our team and teammates is that straight away, we immediately put our hands up and took responsibility.
“That’s something we have always prided ourselves on and we don’t shy away from it. It was a very difficult situation because it’s something that’s still very common. But if you offend just one person, regardless of the other 20 people in the room, you still have to understand you’ve offended somebody. You have to take that responsibility.
“We don’t want to be associated with anything that offends people in any way.”
“It was a very difficult period of time for us because we’d seen a lot of stuff on social media but I think it’s something that we dealt with really well. We don’t want to be associated with anything that offends people in any way. We’ve had almost a perfect image up until this point and we want to keep that.”
Nutrition is, of course, a vital part of any athlete’s competition prep and something that AYA brand ambassador Amber takes very seriously, as she explains:
“With any type of activity, you have to get the nutrition right. It’s impossible to get every type of vitamin and ingredient into your body and sometimes there were things I was lacking and I needed. When I joined with AYA, they provided me with products that managed to break that gap.
“It’s part of my daily routine now. It has multiple health benefits, and not just health but also psychological benefits. I would never get involved with something unless I believed it would benefit me and over the short length of time, I can definitely see benefits. I think over time, it’s only going to get better.”
With the World Cup only around the corner, you can bet that Amber and her very impressive Ireland team have all our support at Her!
Brought to you by AYA Supplements
Related links:
- Amber Barrett and a great new challenge feature on this week’s Late Late Show
- Here are the Irish sportswomen to keep an eye out for in 2023
- Ireland to take on France in big Tallaght Stadium send-off before World Cup
