Fifa goal of year: Stephanie Roche, Van Persie or James Rodriguez

Ireland's Stephanie Roche has been shortlisted for Fifa's goal of the year.

Roche's strike for Irish women's club Peamount United in October 2013, which has had almost three million views on YouTube, helped earn her a professional contract with French club ASPTT Albi.

She is shortlisted alongside Colombia's James Rodriguez and Robin van Persie, of the Netherlands.

Both of their goals came at the 2014 World Cup.

Users of Fifa.com and francefootball.fr will be able to vote for their favourite of the three goals. If Roche wins the vote, she will become the first female to earn Fifa's Puskas award. The winner will be announced at the world governing body's annual awards in Zurich on 12 January.

Reacting to her inclusion in the final three, Roche told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It hasn't really sunk in yet.

"I've been inundated with phone calls since it was announced.

"I am delighted obviously, it's a great achievement and I hope [people] will continue to vote for me.

"I'm happy my goal is getting recognition, it's brilliant for me and brilliant for women's football."

Speaking about her goal against Wexford Youths, Roche said: "The ball was crossed in from the right, I had my back to goal and I had my first touch with my right foot.

"I put the ball onto my left foot and then volleyed it into the goal and spun the defender.

"It's only just sinking in that it was a good goal and it's getting the attention."

The goal, watched by an estimated 95 spectators, would have remained only a talked about phenomenon but for the fact the Wexford Youths team manager had arranged to have the game videoed.

"Most of our games aren't filmed so I was lucky enough in that respect," Roche added. "My manager Eileen Gleeson got the DVD off the Wexford Youths manager, then edited the clip and put it up on YouTube and it all went from there."

Former Republic of Ireland great Paul McGrath and ex-England stars Rio Ferdinand, Gary Lineker and Matthew Le Tissier were among those who marvelled at Roche's skill after viewing the grainy footage of the goal.

Dubliner Roche, 25, represented the Republic of Ireland Under-17 team as a 14-year-old and since making her senior international debut in 2008, has gone on to accumulate 28 caps.

She is up against Real Madrid's Rodriguez, who netted a sensational volley from outside the area for his country against Uruguay at the World Cup.

Manchester United's Van Persie also makes the shortlist for his diving header for the Dutch in their World Cup opener against Spain.