Hayden still going strong as she heads into 25th year with Carlow

Carlow player, Edel Hayden, is in to her 25th year with the Carlow senior footballers. It is a remarkable achievement but she loves her football and is driven by her ambition to get to an All-Ireland final with her county.

“I started in 2001 so I suppose it is 25 years now. I probably missed a few with injuries and the kids but I have always been there or thereabouts. It is a huge honour to put on the jersey. When your dream is to get to Croke Park and you haven’t done it yet, it is hard to let it go,” she explains.

Being part of a squad who work for each other helps her to keep going.

“We are a small group but closely knit. The girls are really putting it in in training. We are really coming together now. We have a few players back that we didn’t have last year. It is a great boost,” she says.

She rejects the suggestion that she would be one of the leaders in the team.

“So many players have massive experience and then the girls from Bennekerry-Tinryland who won an All-Ireland. They bring that to training every night. It is great for the young players as well who can look up to them.” Hayden points out to others in the squad who give their all every time.

“I just go and train hard. There are so many leaders on the team, it doesn’t matter whether you are younger or older. Roisin (Bailey) is 22/23. She is a massive leader in the game. There are so many leaders on and off the pitch. It doesn’t matter what age you are. You can still train hard, push it at training and that is what I do.”