Above: Megan Campbell executing one of her trademark long throw ins. Photo: via RTE
By Alyce Collett (15/10/2025)
The changing of the guard in the Republic of Ireland senior national team is continuing, with Megan Campbell the latest Girl in Green to hang up the boots.
Campbell earned 57 senior caps for the Republic of Ireland, after first making her senior debut in August 2011. She went on to get her first senior start in a Euros qualifier loss to France the following month and scored her first international goal against Northern Ireland in March 2013/
Campbell also played a crucial role in helping the Irish qualify for their first ever major tournament – the 2023 Women’s World Cup – but heartbreakingly missed the tournament proper due to injury.
She also had an accomplished international career at underage level, playing an important role in a historic run for the Girls in Green at the 2010 Women’s European Under-17 Championship. Campbell scored the only goal in the semi final of that tournament which saw the Republic of Ireland beat Germany to reach the final, but unfortunately for the Irish they lost the final in a penalty shoot out to Spain.
On the domestic front Campbell’s career began with St Francis before joining Raheny United in the League of Ireland. Campbell’s career took her all over the world, spending time in the college system in the United States before heading over to England to play for Manchester City, Everton, Liverpool and then London City Lionesses. She had been without a club for a few months after leaving the Lionesses post helping them get promoted to the Women’s Super League.
The hard nose defender played across both centre back and outside back throughout her career, and developed a reputation for not only the way she defended, but for legendary throw ins.
Thanks to her hypermobility, Campbell has the ability to do throw ins that can reach the heart of her side’s attacking penalty box.
This ability also led her to officially break a World Record in April this year when one of her throw ins was officially recorded as having gone 37.55 metres.
Her retirement announcement comes off the back of a number of other big Irish names retiring in the League of Ireland over the weekend, with Campbell’s former Ireland team mates Áine O’Gorman, Karen Duggan and Rianna Jarrett also all hanging up the boots.
Reflecting on her decision to retire while speaking to Irish broadcaster RTE, Campbell said “It’s been a while coming, but it’s something that I’ve struggled accepting for a long time now.
“Football has been my life for over 25 years. It has given me so many amazing opportunities, allowed me to travel the world and to meet some of the best people. It has helped me to become the person I am today.
“Unfortunately, I knew that playing the sport I love, and have given everything to, would have to end some day. I just never wanted to believe that it would have come this soon.”
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