Gail Redmond: Progress in women's football 'mind-blowing', says MBE recipient
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Gail Redmond says she "didn't believe it" when she was told that she was going to be recognised in the New Year's Honours list
Former Northern Ireland captain Gail Redmond says it is "mind-blowing" to see how far women's football has developed in the country.
Redmond was made a MBE for services to women's football in the New Year Honours list.
The 43-year-old is a coach with Women's Premiership side Glentoran and is women's development manager at the Irish FA Foundation.
The former Northern Ireland player says she feels "so humbled" by the honour.
"It's mind-blowing to think what we've achieved," she said on a historic 2022.
Northern Ireland's senior women's team played at the Euro 2022 finals in July - the country's first women's major tournament.
The finals were a long way from when players had to pay to play for the senior national team and self-fund trips abroad when it was reformed in 2004.
In a further step, the Women's Premiership, Northern Ireland's top tier, will introduce professionalism for the first time in 2023.
Redmond, who began her playing career for the Post Office as a teenager before spending 10 years as a player and head coach in the United States, says the opportunity for women to be paid in a massive step forward.
"Next year is very exciting with professionalism and the opportunity for women to get paid," she said.
"It is the best way to find the next Rachel Furness, Marissa Callaghan or Julie Nelson."
She travelled to the University of Southern Mississippi on a scholarship at 18 before spending six years at the College as head soccer coach, where she was the youngest manager in the Division at just 24.
She returned to Northern Ireland and joined Glentoran, swayed by Cheryl Lamont and the late Maura Muldoon, and went on to win 16 honours with the east Belfast club before her retirement in 2016 - despite an achilles injury which threatened her career in 2010.
The midfielder also played "around 25 times" for Northern Ireland, captained her country and scored two international goals.
She jokes the lack of accurate record keeping around her time as an international highlights how far the game has progressed.
'I want to push football forward'
Redmond joined the IFA in 2009 after returning home from the USA and is currently women's development manager.
When she joined the IFA there were no youth leagues in women's football but there are now numerous teams and a revamped grassroots programme..
In addition to her work, Redmond is also a pundit for BBC Sport and was co-commentator for Northern Ireland's matches at Euro 2022.
"Obviously my time has been and gone as a player, but I just feel I am in the perfect position with the role I hold within the IFA to push football forward.
"I think my skillset is bringing people together, with ideas and what will work, to create that common goal.
"The Northern Ireland players are all a credit, and their success has made my job so much easier because there is a platform with visibility, and now the hard work will continue.
"Football is for all. There are still certain parts of our country where football is not accessible and there are not enough leagues in their area, and they have to travel too far in rural areas.
"There is still a bunch of work to be done to ensure that football can still grow."
Gail Redmond believes a generation has been inspired by Northern Ireland's first major tournament at Euro 2022
Redmond adds that young girls need "more role models and visibility" as women's football continues to develop.
She adds it is "unbelievable" how Southampton - which hosted all three of NI's matches at Euro 2022 - embraced the travelling Northern Ireland support and the tournament has taken exposure of the women's game to a new level.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would have two fan zones at home for fans who couldn't go to the games.
"All the new supporters and all the young girls who, they have been inspired by this generation."
Redmond said she didn't believe the news of the honour when she first found out.
"To tell you the truth, I just see it as doing my job," she added.
"I don't think it will sink in for a while, or maybe until I actually receive it.
"Every year I am always excited to see who's on the honours list and never in my wildest dreams did I expect to feature on it personally."