ABBIE LARKIN is hoping to hit the high notes for Ireland after bagging her first goal for Crystal Palace.
Larkin scored in stoppage time 10 days ago as Palace defeated Newcastle United in the FA Cup.
And the 19-year-old is looking to add to her solitary goal for her country on Friday when Carla Ward’s reign as manager starts with a Nations League clash against Turkiye.
Larkin said: “Hopefully! Yeah, I’d love to, anyway. I was really happy getting my first goal for Palace, even if it was a deflection.”
And the Ringsend native is happy with her lot even though Palace are propping up the Women’s Super League.
Although she usually starts on the bench, she is featuring far more regularly this term than she did in their promotion-winning campaign after moving from Glasgow City in January 2024.
She said: “It’s definitely crucial. Not playing, sitting on the bench is not going to help your development.
“Confidence is key. If you’re playing a lot of minutes, you’re going to get confident on the ball. It just helps you believe in yourself more. It’s really important.
“It’s definitely a big step, I feel like the talent is a lot higher in the WSL. It’s been hard for us, we have to put in the work and effort to try and stay up and we’re doing OK now.
“We have had some losses that we probably should have got a draw, but I mean that’s the game.”
Ward has already been to watch her in action for her club and the teenager believes she can flourish in her style of football.
She said: “I think it’s going to be more attacking, which is definitely going to benefit me. I’m such an attacking player.
“We’re all really excited for her coming in and we’re excited for a fresh start. We can’t wait.”
She also believes she has pinned down her best position after being used here, there and everywhere.
She said: I’ve been around in a lot of positions throughout my career and yeah, I think right winger definitely stands out for me.
“I like having the touch line on my back.
“I love taking on players down the wing and I think crossing the ball and assisting players is what I like to do, hopefully getting a few goals myself.
“Everybody likes to score and it’s an amazing feeling. You can’t think about anything else in that moment.”
If she is relishing a fresh start at international level, she is enjoying some consistency at club level as she is now at Palace for more than a year after six-month stints at, first, Shamrock Rovers and Glasgow City.
She shares a flat with her colleague for club and country Izzy Atkinson with Hayley Nolan also with the Eagles.
CLUB FORM
She said: “I am definitely settled. I get on with all the girls and I’m enjoying it.
“Having a bit of Irish culture there is amazing, and has helped a lot. We’re all very supportive of each other.
“I think most of them are trying to say they’re half Irish now. They all love me, Hayley and Izzy.
“I think just a bit of everything – a bit of our music, a lot of things, yeah.
“I sing a lot of songs. I actually love sad songs. And not just because they’re sad, I just like them. They’re just good songs.”
And it must be in the blood with her brother Brandon a gigging musician.
She said: “I play guitar too. My brother is a musician, he has two bands.
“So he kind of taught me a few things and yeah, I just tried to teach myself a little bit. It’s just something to like do when you’re bored and stuff.”
