GLASGOW City midfielder Jo Love says the prospect of playing in the 2019 World Cup in France, rather than reaching 200 Scotland appearances, informed her decision not to retire from international football after the Euros.
Goalkeeper Gemma Fay, defender Ifeoma Dieke and midfielder Leanne Ross all made their exits following the Netherlands tournament. As with Love, they had finally achieved their long-held aim of playing in a major championship.
Love, who will be 32 in December, has been on a relentless treadmill which combines work and football since making her Scotland debut in 2002. Nevertheless, having sought – and been given – head coach Shelley Kerr's assurance that she still has a role to play, she decided to carry on.
She started in Kerr's first game, last month's 3-0 friendly win in Hungary, and could win her 182nd cap in Minsk against Belarus tonight. It is Scotland's opening World Cup qualifier, with the second game of the Group 2 double-header to follow against Albania in Paisley on Tuesday.
“I'm really enjoying my football again and I wanted to at least play in this World Cup campaign,” she said “I'm looking forward to it - and all going well I'll see out the two years.
“If I managed to get to 200 caps that would be amazing, but it's not why I'm still playing. It's unbelievable I've reached 181, to be honest.”
Love and Kerr go back a long way. They are former Scotland team-mates and also played at the same time for Kilmarnock and Doncaster Rovers Belles. While playing for the English top tier club they used to share the driving on the 450-mile round trip every Sunday of the season.
Despite this, Love says their friendship is temporarily parked given that Kerr is now in charge of the Scotland side.
“When you come away with the squad you have to know what the boundaries are,” the central midfielder pointed out. “I've always respected Shelley for the player that she was, and the person that she is, but I treat her the way I'd treat any other manager.”
Love has good memories of playing against Belarus. The were also in Scotland's Euro 2107 qualifying group and the Glasgow City player scored twice in the 7-0 home win at Fir Park. She then grabbed the only goal at the FC Minsk ground where tonight's game is being played.
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