Alex Kavanagh

Alexandra Kavanagh (born 11 December 1999) is an Irish association footballer who plays for Women's National League (WNL) club Shelbourne and the Republic of Ireland women's national team. She is a central midfielder with good technique,[2] who is also a capable goal scorer.[3]

Alex Kavanagh
Personal information
Full name Alexandra Kavanagh[1]
Date of birth (1999-12-11) 11 December 1999
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Shelbourne
Number 6
Youth career
Home Farm
2011–2015 Shelbourne
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016– Shelbourne
National team‡
2016–2018 Republic of Ireland U19 17 (3)
2016– Republic of Ireland
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 01:17, 6 December 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 01:17, 6 December 2020 (UTC)

Club career

Kavanagh is from Finglas, Dublin and began playing soccer for Shelbourne's girls' teams in 2011 when she was 11 years old.[4] She also played up to under-14 level with Home Farm, as the only girl in the team.[5]

In January 2016 Kavanagh was elevated into Shelbourne's Women's National League squad, scoring on her debut on 20 February 2016; a 12–1 win over a Castlebar Celtic team in rapid decline.[4][note 1] In the remainder of the 2015–16 season Kavanagh featured as Shelbourne were edged out by Wexford Youths in both the WNL Shield final and a play-off for the League title.[6][7]

In the 2016 season, Kavanagh started the 5–0 FAI Women's Cup final win over Wexford Youths[8] as Shelbourne secured a League and Cup "double".[9] She displayed good form in the 2019 Women's National League, being named WNL Player of the Month for March 2019,[10] and named in the WNL Team of the Season.[11]

International career

Youth

In November 2012 Kavanagh became the youngest ever person to play football for Ireland, when she played for the under-15 schoolgirl team in two matches at St George's Park National Football Centre in Burton upon Trent, England. At 12 years old she broke the record previously held by Conor Clifford.[5] She continued to play for Ireland's under-15s during 2013–14, while attending St. Michael's Secondary School in Finglas.[12]

With the Republic of Ireland women's national under-17 football team, Kavanagh competed at the 2016 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship qualification mini tournament in Turkey,[13] then the elite round in France.[14] She was promoted to the Republic of Ireland women's national under-19 football team for a match against Belgium in September 2016, and scored a penalty kick in Ireland's 2–1 defeat.[15]

With the under-19s Kavanagh competed in the 2017 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship qualification series in North Macedonia and in the elite round at Markets Field, Limerick.[16] By the time of the following year's elite round at Turners Cross, Cork, Kavanagh remained part of the team.[17] She concluded her under-19 national team career with three goals in 17 appearances.[18]

Senior

In August 2016 Ireland coach Susan Ronan named Kavanagh in a young and predominantly home-based senior squad for a training camp in Wales.[19][20] She won her first senior cap in the second of two scheduled friendly matches against the Welsh hosts, as an 83rd-minute substitute for Jetta Berrill in Ireland's 2–1 win.[21][22]

Kavanagh made another substitute appearance in a 2–1 home friendly win over the Basque Country on 25 November 2016, coming in for Áine O'Gorman after 85 minutes.[23] She continued to be selected by Ronan's successor Colin Bell, being called up for two friendlies against Iceland and Scotland ahead of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying series.[24] In August 2019 Kavanagh was an unused substitute in a 3–0 friendly defeat by the United States at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.[25]

Personal life

Kavanagh's older brother Cian is also a soccer player.[4] An attacking midfielder like his sister, Cian Kavanagh developed at St. Kevin's Boys and has played in the League of Ireland for Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne, UCD, Drogheda United and Wexford.[26]

Alex and Cian's father George Kavanagh played League of Ireland football for St. Pats, Bray Wanderers and Thurles Town.[5]

Notes
  1. Castlebar Celtic later withdrew from the WNL and their 2015–16 results were expunged from the records.

References
  1. "Ireland WU16 end campaign with Danish loss". Football Association of Ireland. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  2. "On The Radar | Players Eyeing International Call-Ups". Women's National League (Ireland). 7 July 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  3. Doyle, Stephen (25 April 2019). "Shelbourne goal machine Alex Kavanagh named Player of the Month". Newstalk. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  4. "Sport: Shelbourne's super siblings". Dublin People. 28 February 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  5. O'Regan (19 November 2012). "Alex (12) enters record books as youngest ever to play for Ireland". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  6. "Wexford edge Shels in WNL Shield Final". wnl.fai.ie. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  7. "WNL Play-Off Report: Shelbourne Ladies 1–2 Wexford Youths Women". www.extratime.ie. 22 May 2016.
  8. "Five-star Shelbourne turn on the style to win FAI Women's Cup". The Irish Independent. 6 November 2016.
  9. "Shelbourne Ladies wrap up league title". RTÉ Sport. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  10. "Shelbourne star Alex Kavanagh scoops player of the month award". RTÉ Sport. 25 April 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  11. "2019 Women's National League Team of the Season". Women's National League (Ireland). 13 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  12. "#2 Alex Kavanagh". FAI Schools. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  13. "Kavanagh believes in UEFA European Championship Finals dream". Extratime.com. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  14. "Ireland U-17s Fight Back To Beat Hungary". She Kicks. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  15. "Report: Kavanagh on target for WU19s". Football Association of Ireland. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  16. "Ireland women's under-19 side too good for Ukraine in Limerick". Irish Independent. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  17. "Ireland U-19s have to settle for a draw with Austria". RTÉ Sport. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  18. "Alex Kavanagh". SoccerScene.ie. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  19. Blake, Ben (17 August 2016). "Youth given a chance to impress as 9 new faces named in Ireland senior women's squad". The42.ie. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  20. "Sue Ronan names Wales training camp squad". Football Association of Ireland. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  21. "Young Ireland hold Wales in stalemate". Football Association of Ireland. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  22. "Video: Late McCabe double secures victory over Wales". Football Association of Ireland. 21 August 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  23. "Report: Ronan ends six-year tenure with win". Football Association of Ireland. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  24. O'Neill, Jen (22 May 2017). "Bell Names Ireland Squad For Iceland Friendly". She Kicks. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  25. "USA Rolls Past Ireland 3-0 In Front Of 37,040 Fans At The Rose Bowl To Win First Match Of 2019 Victory Tour Presented By Allstate". United States Soccer Federation. 3 August 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  26. "Cian Kavanagh signs for Wexford FC". Wexford F.C. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
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