'Nothing can take my attention' - Ward on World Cup

Ward dismisses speculation linking her to Aston Villa, reaffirming her commitment to guiding Ireland through World Cup qualifying.

Republic of Ireland manager Carla Ward has ruled out any move away from her post, despite reports linking her to a vacant position at her former club Aston Villa. Ward, who took charge in January 2025, says her sole focus is on leading Ireland through their World Cup qualifying play-off against Kazakhstan and beyond. She emphasized that nothing can distract her from the goal of reaching next summer's finals in Brazil, having already guided the team to their first-ever World Cup appearance in 2023.