“I DEFINITELY HAD tears in my eyes,” says Chloe Mustaki, reflecting on last night’s bus journey back to the team hotel in La Manga following Ireland’s game against Russia.
The former Republic of Ireland U19 captain has overcome the emotional turmoil of encountering two major hurdles to achieve her long-held ambition of becoming a senior international. With her rehabilitation curbed by the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, the versatile defender eventually returned to action with Shels following an 18-month lay-off.
“It was a strange feeling on the bus on the way back to the hotel, looking at my phone for the first time and seeing the messages from family, friends and everyone around me who knew how much it meant to me and congratulated me for sticking with it. Mustaki joined Shelbourne last year after a spell in England with Charlton Athletic. Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO