The Beautiful Game

Women's football has enjoyed a massive surge in popularity in recent years.

The Northern Ireland team, in particular, has helped raise the game's profile thanks to their efforts.

One of the key components of the Northern Ireland team is Chloe McCarron.

The Coleraine woman, who plays for Glentoran, has been a mainstay of the national side.

But that's not a surprise, especially to her friends and family. Football was always going to dominate Chloe's life.

The midfielder, who still lives in Coleraine with her mum Rhonda and dad Norman, grew up with her supportive, football-mad parents. Sister Nicole makes up this proud family.

Her first taste of football came when she attended the Irish Society Primary School.

Her obsession with football during her primary school years saw her turn out for the boy's team - she was the only girl playing then.

Chloe progressed to Coleraine College, where she studied from Year 8 until she finished her A levels. Again, she played on the football team until third year, and once again, she was the only girl playing.

"I don't think we even had a proper football kit," recalled Chloe.

"We actually wore a plain blue rugby shirt with a white collar!”

Her footballing skills were catching the attention of many. During those secondary school years, she progressed through the international set-up, firstly with the Under 15's, then Under 17's and finally Under 19's.

"Coleraine College really supported and accommodated me so I could go away when I was selected for each camp," added Chloe.

"I remain very grateful because it played a part in my development as a player, and it also helped me academically.

"It meant I got the grades I needed, regardless of missing classes for games and being away with Northern Ireland a few times during the academic year.

football."

Turning out as the only girl didn't bother the football-mad youngster.

When she was 7 or 8, she played for East End -  you'll not be surprised to learn again there were no girls at the time, so she was on the boys' team.

Then came a year at Coleraine Academy before she played for the Liam Beckett Academy.

"I played there for two or three seasons before having to stop because of gender differences. I was around 12 or 13 years old at this time."

Then came a step up in class and a further development in Chloe’s career when she switched to Ballymena Women, who played in the top Women's League in Northern Ireland.

"I couldn't play for a full season as you had to be 14 to play in the Women's League."

After just one season, the ambitious Chloe was on the move again, this time to Mid Ulster, before Linfield came calling.

That heralded a trophy-laden spell where she won the NIFL Women's Premiership three years in a row.

Then came a dream transfer across the water in 2020 when Birmingham City secured her signature. The Blues played in WSL 1 at the time, and it was a fantastic experience.

After one season, the lure of home was too hard to resist, and in 2021, she signed for her current club, Glentoran.

And what a move that has turned out to be!

"I was able to sign in that summer window and went on to win the League, Irish Cup, County Antrim Shield and League Cup."

And Chloe and the Glens continue to enjoy a winning partnership. They recently finished the 2023 season as League and Irish Cup champions.

We haven't even mentioned the 25-year-old's proud achievements representing her country.

Having played through all the age groups, it was no surprise Chloe earned recognition with the senior team.

"I made my debut when I was 16 against Scotland."

After her recent appearances against Hungary in the Nation's League, she has amassed  37 caps.

A 38th is on the cards in December when Northern Ireland meets the Republic of Ireland.

"The highlight has to be qualifying for the European Championships.

"We played Ukraine home and away in the Play-Off during Covid.

"The first fixture was away before travelling home to play the second leg, which we won. Knowing we were going to the Euros was special.

"Even though there were no fans in the crowd, it was still a great moment."

But the journey is far from over for this talented footballer.

"I just want to keep progressing and getting better. I want to play for as long as I can, especially representing Northern Ireland.

"The focus is to keep working towards getting selected for each camp and to get as many caps as I can along the way.

“I think Tanya (Oxtoby, new NI manager) coming in is refreshing.

"She brings this completely different view on things, which is great as it allows us to continue to learn new things on and off the pitch as players and individuals."

The future looks bright for Chloe McCarron.

Here's to many more caps in the future!