Gemma McGuinness
Personal information
Date of birth (1995-08-07) 7 August 1995
Place of birth Moville, Ireland
Position(s) Winger / Forward
Team information
Current team
 Galway United
Number 11
Youth career
Greencastle FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2019 Derry City
2022 Sligo Rovers
2023 Galway United 16 (5)
2023- AFC Bournemouth
International career‡
2019 Northern Ireland 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:21, 21 August 2022 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14:21, 21 August 2022 (UTC)

Gemma McGuinness (born 7 August 1995) is an Irish footballer who plays for AFC Bournemouth. She previously represented the mighty Galway United and Sligo Rovers in the League Of Ireland and Derry City of the Northern Ireland Women's Premiership A winger or forward, she has also represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level and Northern Ireland at senior level.

Club career

McGuinness is from Moville in County Donegal. At youth level she played football for Greencastle FC, as well as for her school Moville Community College. In April 2013 she scored a hat-trick for the latter in their 4–3 FAI Schools Cup final win over Christ King.[1]

When McGuinness went to Ulster University at Coleraine her football career was disrupted because there was no women's university football team. In her final year she began playing again at the University's Jordanstown campus in Belfast.[2]

Having rediscovered her enthusiasm for football McGuinness progressed to playing for Derry City. In her first season with the Candystripes, 2016–17, her 14 goals helped secure promotion back to the Northern Ireland Women's Premiership.[3] In 2019 her football career was disrupted again when she moved to Vietnam to work as a science teacher.[2]

Returning from Vietnam after two years, McGuinness trained with Derry City but instead accepted an offer from newly-formed Women's National League (WNL) club Sligo Rovers.[4] On 19 March 2022 the club secured its first ever competitive win, 2–1 over Cork City at Turners Cross. McGuinness scored the club's first official goal in the match.[5][6]

McGuinness then joined Galway United for the 2023 season, and has been an integral part of the team's inaugural season in the Women's Premier Division and also helping them qualify for the Avenir Sports All-Island Cup Final, scoring the winning penalty against Wexford Youths in the Semi-Final and scoring the Winning goal in the final against Cliftonville to win Galway United their first piece of silverware in 25 years, she wrote herself into Galway history with the goal before leaving a few weeks later for AFC Bournemouth.

International career

Youth

McGuinness represented Ireland at schoolgirl level while she attended Moville Community College.[7][8] She progressed to playing for the Republic of Ireland women's national under-17 football team, scoring against Romania and hosts North Macedonia as Ireland negotiated the 2012 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship qualification first round mini tournament in October 2011.[9][10]

With the Republic of Ireland women's national under-19 football team, McGuinness scored in the opening 2013 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship first qualifying round fixture, a 3–0 win over Cyprus in Inđija, Serbia, on 20 October 2012.[11] Two days later she scored the final goal in an 11–0 win over Latvia.[12]

Still eligible for under-19 football the following season, McGuinness was selected for two friendlies against Portugal in September 2013.[13] Although an injury ruled her out of both matches,[14] she recovered to participate in the 2014 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship qualification series hosted by Ireland later that month.[15]

While enrolled at the University of Ulster, McGuinness represented Ireland at the 2019 Summer Universiade.[16]

Senior

In February 2019 McGuinness was given a first call-up by the Northern Ireland women's national football team for their appearance at the 2019 Turkish Women's Cup later that month.[17] She had attended her first training camp with Northern Ireland the previous month.[18]

McGuinness won her first senior cap on 5 March 2019, as an 83rd-minute substitute in Northern Ireland's 2–1 win over Uzbekistan which secured third place at the Turkish Women's Cup.[19][20]

Personal life

As well as being a footballer, McGuinness is a qualified nutritionist.[21][22] In 2022 she was employed by Davey Nutrition.[23]

References

  1. ↑ "In Brief: McGuinness does 'trick for Moville". Irish Independent. 13 April 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 O'Donnell, Matthew (24 May 2022). "McGuinness belief pays off". Final Whistle. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  3. ↑ McNulty, Chris (25 August 2017). "Delight for the Donegal dozen as Derry City ladies get the job done for top flight return". Donegal Sports Hub. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "McGuinness signs for Rovers". Sligo Rovers F.C. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  5. ↑ "WNL round-up: Sligo Rovers earn historic victory". RTÉ Sport. 19 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  6. ↑ McNulty, Chris (19 March 2022). "Gemma McGuinness nets historic goal as Sligo get first WNL win". Donegal Live. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "Local girls make Republic squad". Inishowen News. 11 March 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  8. ↑ "Gemma McGuinness". FAI Schools. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Ireland Women's U17 UEFA Championship". Football Association of Ireland. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  10. ↑ "U17 Women inflict 6-0 defeat on Macedonia". Football Association of Ireland. 12 October 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  11. ↑ "U19 Women off to a winning start". Football Association of Ireland. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Hansberry and Shine hit hat-tricks in rout". Irish Independent. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "Greencastle starlet in Portugal". Northern Ireland World. JPIMedia. 3 September 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  14. ↑ "Injured McGuinness sits out Portugal defeat". Northern Ireland World. JPIMedia. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  15. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Peter (22 September 2013). "Ireland U19 put seven past Kazakhs". Extra Time. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  16. ↑ McNulty, Chris (9 July 2019). "Gemma McGuinness ready to overcome the Korean threat". Donegal Times. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  17. ↑ McNulty, Chris (26 February 2019). "Gemma McGuinness in line for Northern Ireland appearance at Turkish Cup". Donegal Daily. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  18. ↑ "23-strong panel to take part in three-day camp at UUJ and Greenmount". Irish Football Association. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  19. ↑ Frith, Wilf (5 March 2019). "Northern Ireland finish third at Turkish Women's Cup". She Kicks. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  20. ↑ Dey, Subrata. "Alanya Gold City Womens Cup 2019". RSSSF. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  21. ↑ "Auscham webinar: your well-being during Covid-19 lockdowns". Hong Kong Business Association Vietnam. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  22. ↑ "SSC #4 with Gemma McGuinness". Simply Sport Content. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  23. ↑ "Meet our team". Davey Nutrition. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
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