Playing in the Champions League is something you dream about

“I’m playing some of the best football I’ve ever played in a long time,” reveals forward Saoirse Noonan, just as Celtic prepare to face Chelsea in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

The 25-year-old has been at the club less than five months and is already rubbing shoulders with Europe’s elite. After hitting the back of the net nine times in 11 games since signing with Celtic this past summer, Noonan has already played a crucial role in raising the standard in the Scottish Women’s Premier League.

Talking about her time at Celtic so far, she exclusively tells 90min it’s been a “whirlwind”.

“When I came here it was at the back of pre-season, so I’ve always felt like I was catching up,” says Noonan. “I’m enjoying it but it’s so hectic. I’m trying to enjoy it and live in the moment. Some days are hard and some are fun, but I’m riding the wave.

“I’m playing some of the best football I’ve ever played, and that’s where you want to be as a footballer. This is the life of a player at the top-level and I’m getting to experience that, so I’m very grateful.”

Formerly of Durham, just south of the English border, Noonan was part of the Celtic team that wrote history earlier this season, becoming the first Scottish club to qualify for the group stage of the Women’s Champions League since it was introduced in 2020.

Despite failing to record a win so far, losing 2-0 to Twente and 4-0 to Real Madrid, the club celebrated their first goal on home turf last week against Chelsea in an eventual 2-1 defeat.

Over 7,000 fans descended onto Glasgow’s Celtic Park for the fixture, in what’s been described as a huge stride for women’s football in Scotland.

“We didn’t sell it out but the fans brought the noise,” says Noonan.

“No matter how many there were, we heard them and they never stopped singing. Chelsea are one of the favourites to win the tournament and we went one up against them. No one expected us to give them a game and we certainly rattled them.

“We were able to hold our own and put pressure on them right until the end. It does give us confidence for the return leg at Stamford Bridge. We know what to expect and they aren’t going to leave any stone unturned.”

Taking a moment to reflect on the gravity of competing on the European stage with Celtic, Noonan tells 90min it’s always been a “dream” of hers.

“Playing in the Champions League is something I’ve always said I’ve wanted to do, and I never thought I’d be playing in the last 16 with Celtic,” she explains.

“People say dream big and we are just so proud. No one can ever take that moment away from us. We haven’t just played either, we’ve competed and that’s really important to us. People can say that we’ve played weaker teams, but we are in the last 16 of the Champions League and these teams still need to beat us.”

Aside from putting in an impressive shift for her club, Noonan also remains hopeful that her recent successes have caught the eye of Republic of Ireland national team coach Eileen Gleeson.

The forward made her first competitive appearance at the start of 2023 Women’s World Cup qualifying in 2021, and went on to score her first international goal later that year.

“I think playing in the Champions League is the highest you can get with your club, but playing for your country is the highest you can get in anything and I think that’s everyone’s goal at the end,” she says, looking back on three years as an international player.

“I definitely want to be involved in the team if they qualify for the Euros next summer. All you can do as a striker is make noise and score goals. The talent is incredible and it’s a hard position to be in for the manager. I just want to make sure that I’m enjoying football, then it’ll show on the pitch, I’ll get my goals and my rewards.”

Noonan believes Celtic’s presence in the Champions League is a “huge” step in the right direction for growing women’s football across Scotland.

“We play teams week in, week out here and Celtic has only been a full-time club for four years,” she says. “It goes a long way to show the progress of the Scottish Women’s Premier League. Some people can knock the league because there are part-time teams, and there is a bit of a divide.

“I think it shows that we are able to compete and we probably deserve a bit more credit than the players get here. We can compete with top teams around the world and put on a show, but I think we need to hold ourselves accountable. We have to make sure that we continue to do it for the next three years.”

When asked whether she’d support a combined league with teams from Scotland and England, Noonan responds: “I definitely think there’s an opportunity there. It would be good for [Scottish] clubs to play those in the Women’s Super League, as it would help them get a feel of where they are at.

“I think it would also give people a lot more respect for the Scottish Women’s Premier League, but the only thing that would prevent that from happening in schedules.”

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