Women's Euro 2022: Northern Ireland's Caragh Hamilton on Iceland, injuries and making history

Caragh Hamilton has won over 30 Northern Ireland caps

What were you doing at 15 years of age? It certainly wasn't playing senior football for Northern Ireland.

Unless, that is, your name is Caragh Hamilton.

Just 121 days past her 15th birthday, Hamilton became the youngest player to competitively represent Northern Ireland at senior level in February 2012.

After "trying a bit of everything" as a child, football was her passion and, after playing with the boys growing up, she joined Glentoran as a 15 year old.

She was spotted by NI manager Alfie Wylie while lining out for the Under-17s and was asked to come to the senior training sessions.

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Before she knew it, the forward was playing for Northern Ireland in a 2-2 draw away to Belgium in Euro 2013 qualifying.

"I don't think it really struck me at the time how big an achievement it was," said Hamilton, who adds she was "shocked" when Wylie named her in the starting team.

"You have no fear at that age and you don't overthink things. You enjoy playing and you take any opportunity you can get.

"I was nervous going into it but I probably had one of the best games I ever played. I was going out an expressing myself and I was named player of the match."

From debut to four-year lay off

After making a sensational breakthrough, her fledgling career was soon put on hold. On duty with NI's under-19s, what looked like a normal stress fracture in her foot turned into a four-year nightmare.

"It should have healed naturally within eight to12 weeks and I kept getting told it would heal with rest," added Hamilton, who is now 24.

"It came to a year but it hadn't healed fully, so I got a second opinion and the consultant said I should have had surgery straight away on it.

"I had the operation and went through the full rehab period but I was still having quite a lot of issues, so I had a second surgery and it was back to square one."

Caragh Hamilton, then Caragh Milligan, made her NI debut aged 15

Hamilton recalls "crying day after day" at the prospect of never playing football again and said every time she took a step forward "it felt like five steps back again".

"I had thought about going to England or America when I left school, but being injured at that age there was no point trying to chase that.

"Having a lot of success at a young age, I just didn't know life without football."

CrossFit becomes priority

Hamilton made her return to action almost four years on from her injury and after a year with Belfast club Glentoran she spent a season in Iceland with Fylkir.

She says Reykjavik was an "amazing place to play and live" and after being introduced to CrossFit in her rehab, it was in Iceland her interest in the sport grew.

"I was totally hooked on it and progressed quite quickly in it. I started to do a few local competitions and for a while I was balancing the two.

"Because I enjoyed CrossFit so much, my love for football waned slightly. I got to the point where I didn't have the same desire as before."

CrossFit has played an important role in Hamilton's recovery from injury

She returned to Glentoran after her year in Iceland, lifting the Irish Cup with the east Belfast side and representing Northern Ireland before halting her time in the sport to focus on CrossFit.

In her break from football, Hamilton said her priorities changed away from the pitch when she married husband Michael in 2019.

At the turn of 2020 she was set to compete at high-level CrossFit competitions in Asia, Egypt and the Netherlands before the Covid-19 pandemic intervened and her one-year hiatus from football came to an unexpected end.

"I hadn't planned to come back to football. Gail Redmond at Glentoran heard the competitions were scrapped and saw it as an opportunity to get me back playing," she said.

"Initially I was a bit hesitant but she said about the Glens challenging for the title. I think that pulled on my heart stings a bit."

International return cut short

Hamilton netted four goals in six Women's Premiership matches to set Glentoran on course for the title before an "unexpected" call from NI manager Kenny Shiels saw her reintroduced to the international fold.

"Kenny was watching out first game against Cliftonville. After being away from football I don't think he knew who I was but I got 20 minutes at the end and must have impressed him."

Shiels invited Hamilton to train with the senior squad and was named as a stand-by for Northern Ireland's trip to the Faroe Islands in September's Euro 2022 qualifier.

She was drafted into the squad when midfielder Marissa Callaghan pulled out and made her international return as a second-half substitute in a 6-0 win.

Hamilton returned to the NI set-up against the Faroe Islands in September

Despite her sensational return to the NI set-up, Hamilton's season was ended prematurely by a knee injury sustained days before the victory away to Belarus.

She adds that while she is disappointed to be on the sidelines, she is thankful to both Glentoran and Shiels for their support to keep her involved in club and country as much as possible.

With growing optimism that 2021 will edge towards a return to normality in society and sport, Hamilton admits she is undecided whether she will focus on CrossFit or return to the football pitch after her recovery.

"That's the million dollar question," said Hamilton, who just had the second of two surgeries on her knee.

"At the minute I am focusing on getting as fit as possible to make sure I'm able to do the best that I can in whatever I do.

"I want to be healthy and injury-free so I will make that decision closer to the time depending on how things are going."

Hamilton won the Irish Cup with Glentoran in 2018 before her break from football

If Northern Ireland beat the Faroe Islands at home on Tuesday they can qualify for a first-ever play-off and a shot at the rescheduled finals in 2022.

Despite her absence for the remainder of the campaign, Hamilton says she has no doubts Northern Ireland can secure second position in Group C and make history.

She says the atmosphere in the NI camp is "night and day" when compared to before her hiatus and credits Shiels with instilling a strong belief in his side.

"He has brought out something that was always there but a lot of it is belief and confidence," she said.

"Previously we would have played within ourselves to avoid defeat, but now there is an attitude that we can go and win this game.

"There is a hunger and desire to push on. To think we are in with a possible play-off space in such a short space of time is incredible."