Louise Quinn

Louise Catherine Quinn (born 17 June 1990) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a centre back for the Women's Championship club Birmingham City and the Republic of Ireland women's national team.

Quinn then played girls' football with Lakeside FC of Wicklow before joining County Dublin club Peamount United in 2004.

When Eileen Gleeson took over as Peamount United coach in 2006, she noticed Quinn's potential and appointed her to the club captaincy at 16 years old.

After winning her first senior cap in February 2008, Quinn has made over 105 appearances for the Republic of Ireland national team.

Quinn captained Peamount to the 2008 FAI Women's Cup final at Richmond Park, where they lost 2–1 to St Francis.

Quinn made her senior bow in February 2008, as a last-minute substitute for Niamh Fahey in a 4–1 friendly win over Poland at John Hyland Park in Baldonnel, Dublin.

In 2010 Peamount won the FAI Cup final, after defeating Salthill Devon 4–2.

Quinn missed the occasion as she was on a work placement in the United States.

At club level Quinn began her senior career with Peamount United, captaining the club to the inaugural 2011–12 Women's National League title and featuring in the UEFA Women's Champions League.

In August 2011, Quinn scored a hat-trick against ŽNK Krka, as Peamount won 7–0 in the UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying round in Slovenia.

In the inaugural 2011–12 Women's National League season, Quinn helped Peamount United secure the League title and was named in the Team of the Season.

After playing in Peamount's Champions League last-32 elimination by Paris Saint-Germain Féminine in September and October 2011, Quinn began to consider playing professionally overseas: "It was then that I started to think: 'Could I go abroad? Would I be good enough?'"

She spent four seasons in Sweden with Eskilstuna United from 2013 to 2016, then moved to England with Notts County who folded shortly afterwards.

She has been named the FAI Senior Women's International Player of the Year on two occasions, in 2013 and 2019.

Louise Quinn was born and raised in Blessington, County Wicklow, the daughter of Jacinta and Pat Quinn.

She has two older sisters, Vivienne and Sinead.

Her father had played Gaelic football for Wicklow GAA and Louise joined Blessington GAA, playing in the adult team as a 12-year-old goalkeeper.

After a break from Gaelic football, Quinn returned to playing with Kilcullen GAA at around 18 or 19 years old, alongside her best friend and Peamount United team-mate Jenny Murphy.

Although Quinn was subsequently called into training camps with the Kildare GAA team, she wanted to stay loyal to Wicklow.

Quinn began playing organised soccer with Blessington Boys' at under-6 level, alongside her friend Derek Balfe and his father Vincent, who coached the team.

Quinn moved to Swedish club Eskilstuna United in January 2013.

She proved a success in Sweden as Eskilstuna were promoted from the Elitettan in her first season and finished seventh in the top-level Damallsvenskan in her second.

In 2015, the team finished runners-up to FC Rosengård and coach Viktor Eriksson described Quinn as one of the best defenders in the league.

In 2016 team captain Quinn was ever present in the league and played in the club's UEFA Women's Champions League campaign, but decided to leave Eskilstuna in November 2016.

After joining Arsenal on an initial short-term contract in May 2017, she extended her terms and helped the North London club recapture the FA WSL title in 2018–19.

In February 2017 Quinn signed for Notts County, only for the club to fold in April just before the start of the FA WSL Spring Series season.

Quinn signed a short-term deal with Arsenal of the FA WSL on 3 May 2017.

With Arsenal Quinn was an important player in the team which won the 2018 FA WSL Cup Final and 2018–19 FA WSL, but played less regularly in 2019–20 and was given a free transfer on the expiry of her contract in June 2020.

She signed a new contract in May 2019.

Following her departure from Arsenal in 2020, Quinn spent 2020–21 with the Italian Serie A club Fiorentina Women, before joining Birmingham City in July 2021.

Fiorentina Women of the Italian Serie A signed Quinn to a one-year contract with a one-year option in July 2020.

After a 2020–21 season in which Fiorentina finished fourth in the League and were beaten 2–0 by Juventus in the Supercoppa Italiana final, Quinn declined her one-year option and decided to leave the club.

Instead Quinn accepted a two-year contract with Birmingham City.

She was immediately appointed the club captain, and debuted in a 1–0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day of the season.

Birmingham signed several other Irish players and by January 2022 Quinn was one of seven in the City squad.

Despite Quinn's fine individual form, which saw her finish as the team's top goalscorer with five goals and be named FA WSL "Signing of the Season" by The Guardian, Birmingham City finished at the bottom of the table and were relegated at the end of the 2021–22 FA WSL campaign.

As Quinn had a relegation release clause in her contract she sought assurances from the club about promised improvements to their training facilities before deciding whether to stay on.

Ultimately Quinn decided to remain with Birmingham City in the second tier, explaining that she enjoyed the club's Irish connections and working under coaches Darren Carter and Jo Potter.

Quinn captained the Ireland women's national football team at under-19 level, making a total of 25 appearances to add to her five caps for Ireland under-17s.

She had been called into the national under-17 team as a precocious 14-year-old, but the following year her progress was temporarily derailed by a hip fracture which took 10 months to heal.