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Ellie Mason is ready to step up for Northern Ireland
The FA via Getty Images
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Stuart McKinley
Ellie Mason is a player in demand. Having two countries hand her call-ups within the space of 24 hours isn’t something that is particularly common in international football.
After winning two caps for Gibraltar in February, she is now set to play for two national teams inside just eight months after being persuaded to switch her allegiance to Northern Ireland.
It was a decision made with mixed emotions, but one that for football reasons was simple and Mason is ready to slip seamlessly into Kenny Shiels’ team if handed a second international debut against Luxembourg tomorrow.
Gibraltar are still a developing nation as far as women’s football is concerned and the cut and thrust of World Cup qualifiers — despite Northern Ireland being out of the running for a play-off — was too big a pull.
“When the opportunity came up with Northern Ireland, I couldn’t say no. It was just something that I had to do,” said Mason, who qualifies via her late Ballymena-born grandfather.
“I look at the level — Gibraltar are only playing friendlies and Northern Ireland are playing competitive games, major tournaments and pushing to qualify again in the future and that is something that I want to be able to push on in my career.
“To take that opportunity and get that, for me that is what I want to be doing and hopefully make the team better.
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“It’s exciting for me to be involved in World Cup qualifiers. I appreciate the opportunity, I want to take it and do the best I can.”
It is just seven weeks since Northern Ireland were performing on the big stage at the Women’s Euro 2022 Finals.
Suffering defeats in all three games to Norway, Austria and eventual champions England and losing star striker Simone Magill to a long-term injury meant there wasn’t much to take by way of positives.
Without being in Southampton, manager Shiels may not have had the chance to net the services of Mason, who lives in the city, nor the Green and White Army have an impact that they knew nothing about at the time.
“It was strange how it worked and that the team was based in Southampton for the Euros — which was quite lucky and quite funny as well,” said Mason.
“It all worked out well to be able to go and see Kenny. I went to watch all the Northern Ireland games, which was pretty cool.
“I was watching thinking that if I ever got the opportunity, if it came up, I was going to take it with both hands. The fans were top. There is a massive fan base and that is huge for me.
“Seeing the fans at the Euros showed me that it’s just a big family and that is really good.”
Although still relatively young at 26-years-old, Mason is well travelled since starting out at Chelsea in her teens, where she was a team-mate of Northern Ireland international Laura Rafferty — although the two will have to wait to play in the green shirt together after Rafferty pulled out of this squad.
“I do like playing at the back. How the Northern Ireland team plays is literally me,” said the defender.
“I like getting on the ball, playing out so for me the style of play is definitely up there for me.”
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