UCD footballer wins FAI Senior Women’s International Player of the Year

Posted March 22, 2017

• Duggan also won 2016 (opens in a new window)Women's National League Player of the Season

(opens in a new window)UCD Waves midfielder Karen Duggan has been named Senior Women’s International Player of the Year at the (opens in a new window)FAI International Football Awards.

Her UCD Waves colleague Áine O’Gorman and 2014 FIFA Puskás Award winner Stephanie Roche were also nominated.

Duggan joined UCD Waves in 2014 and has 24 caps for the Republic of Ireland senior team. She also played for the national side at under-15, under-17 and under-19 level.

“When I got that chance to step up to the starting 11 I was just working towards getting back in the next day and the next day after that,” Duggan told (opens in a new window)FAI TV. “There’s huge competition for places which is great and it’s helping me to improve my game.”

The 25-year-old from Kilkenny was also awarded Women’s National League (WNL) Senior Player of the Season for 2015/2016. She was named in the WNL Team of the Season for four consecutive years from 2013 – 2016.

This was the 27th year of the FAI International Football Awards. Former Irish captain Robbie Keane was inducted into the FAI Hall of Fame at the event. Keane scored a record 68 goals for the Republic of Ireland.

By: Jonny Baxter, digital journalist, UCD University Relations