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Thursday, September 25, 2025

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Oxtoby adds Heffernan to backroom team

Tanya Oxtoby has added Laura Heffernan to her backroom team for the UEFA Women’s Nations League promotion/

relegation play-off against Iceland next month.

The senior women’s team manager said Heffernan would “add a lot of value” to the Northern Ireland set-up.

Heffernan is the manager of Dun Laoghaire–Rathdown (DLR) Waves in the League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division. She said: “It is a privilege to be joining the Northern Ireland senior women’s team set up.

“The opportunity to work with Tanya, the staff and such a talented group of players was one I was delighted to accept.”

Heffernan, who holds a UEFA Pro Licence, was previously head coach at Wexford Youths when they won the Women’s National League title in the Republic in 2017 and she has coached Shelbourne at youth level (head coach of U17s) and senior level (assistant manager).

Heffernan switched to DLR Waves in 2021, winning the league title with the club’s U19s in 2022. She subsequently became assistant manager at The Waves in early 2023 before taking over as manager of the senior team in May 2023.

She added: “I can already see the brilliant work being done by everyone involved to develop and grow the game and I am looking forward to contributing in any way I can.”

Heffernan is joining the Northern Ireland set-up as an assistant coach.

Northern Ireland boss Oxtoby said: “We are really excited to have Laura join our technical team for this upcoming window. She has a wealth of experience across the women’s game, and she will add a lot of value to our staff team moving forward.”

Oxtoby’s other assistant coach for the games against Iceland is Loren Dykes, a former Welsh international who is first team coach at Bristol City Women. Dykes has been involved in previous Northern Ireland Women camps.

The Showgrounds in Ballymena will host the first leg of the UWNL play-off against Iceland on Friday 24 October (7pm kick off). The second leg will be staged at Laugardalsvöllur Stadium in Reykjavík on Tuesday 28 October (kick off time TBC).

The winner of next month’s play-off will play in UWNL League A for the European Qualifiers phase for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, while the defeated team will play in League B.

Tickets for the match in Ballymena on 24 October are available at irishfa.com/tickets.

(irishfa.com)