Galway United defender and Sparta Prague forward named in Northern Ireland squad for World Cup Play-Off

Northern Ireland manager Michael McArdle has included two new faces in his squad for next month’s Women’s World Cup play-off with Portugal. Newcomers Kess Elmore and Lucy-Jayne Grant are in the 23-player panel for the two-legged tie, which begins at Larne’s Inver Park on Friday, October 9, before the return fixture in Portimao four days later. Elmore, a 27-year-old attacker with Czech Women’s First League side Sparta Prague, is eligible for Northern Ireland through her father, who is from Lisburn.

The Liverpool-born forward came through the ranks at Liverpool Women before moving into the US college system with UConn Huskies and Oregon Ducks. She has also played for St Polten in Austria, Brooklyn in the United States and French club Saint-Etienne, while featuring in Women’s Champions League and Europa Cup competition.