Captain Katie has made me a better striker – Carusa

IRELAND striker Kyra Carusa says playing in the company of a world-class talent like Katie McCabe has made her a better player.

The Irish captain delivered a masterclass in Windsor Park on Tuesday night, creating goals for Carusa and Lucy Quinn while scoring herself a wonder-strike with her right foot.

Carusa (right) feels that the Arsenal star is now operating at the peak of her powers.

‘For all the years that I’ve been playing next to Katie, playing on the same team and playing against Katie, I have never seen her at such a top level consistently,’ said the San Diego Wave striker, who scored five of Ireland’s 20 goals in the Nations League campaign.

‘She has always had that ability. She has always been that kind of player. But at this consistent level and having a very unique ability to make others very good around her, I think that’s the true example of very good leadership and a very class player. I feel like she is in such good form, it’s contagious. I feel like I can be in good form because she is in good form.’

Eileen Gleeson’s interim spell in charge of Ireland came to an end with the 6-1 win over Northern Ireland and the FAI is expected to name the permanent successor to Vera Pauw in the coming weeks.

The identity of that person is still unknown but in Carusa, the new boss will have a reliable centre-forward who has proven that she can lead the line.

‘I definitely feel I have a bit more responsibility on my shoulders over this campaign, especially as a leader and energy driver,’ Carusa said. ‘I think that comes with the position too.

‘When you are a striker, you are starting the press and leading a lot in your voice and movement.

‘I think that this campaign has really given me the confidence to continue that and to lean into that. I think as a person and as a player, that’s a lot of my characteristics anyway. But again, when you have such a contagious energy amongst the team, it makes my job a lot easier to be like that.

‘I’m incredibly proud and humbled by my role in the team,’ Carusa said. ‘I’ve captained teams before and I’ve been in positions to lead presses and really lead by character amongst a team. I’m very proud to know that this team rallies behind us, as well as I rally behind them. You kind of just need everyone to have that little piece of their game, that ability to lead in their own little ways. And I think that myself and everyone else has really added that to this campaign, so I’m glad to see it in myself and everyone else.’

The array of Carusa’s goals during the Nations League campaign has been particularly impressive – from the headers to a dinked finishes. It illustrates that the 28-year-old has plenty of strings to her bow.

‘I’m really proud of that, a really diverse array of goals that, as a striker, you want to keep in your back pocket. No matter how that ball gets to you, you are dangerous in the box always and that’s how I want to be.’