FORMER Ross Juniors star Mary McAteer is set for the Women's Euro Championships in Switzerland next July, after the Wales team beat the Republic of Ireland 3-2 over two legs in last week's play-off.
A delighted Mary, who also scored for Sunderland in Sunday's 4-0 FA Women's Cup win over Huddersfield, posted: "WE’VE ONLY GONE AND QUALIFIED! Cymru am byth...
"Switzerland here we come babyyyyy! History made, so proud to be part of this group."
The 20-year-old launched her senior international career at 19 last year when she came on as a sub in a baptism of fire against Olympic champions USA in San Jose, where the hosts won 2-0.
And she quickly followed that up away to 2022 European Championship runners-up Germany, which proved a 5-1 reverse.
In May at Parc Y Scarlets, she made her first start in a 1-1 draw against Ukraine, and then scored her first senior international goal in a 2-0 European Nations win over Kosovo, which saw them take top spot in the group and a seeded European Championship play-off place.
At the end of October she came off the bench at Cardiff City Stadium in front of a 10,000 crowd as Wales beat Slovakia 2-0 in the play-off semi-final to seal a final place 3-2 on aggregate.
She was on the bench again for the two-leg final against the Republic of Ireland, and although she didn't get on the pitch in either game, she was delighted as Wales won 2-1 in Dublin on Tuesday after a 1-1 draw the previous Friday in Wales to quailfy for a major tournament for the first time.
The UEFA Women's Euro 2025 final draw is at 6pm next Monday (December 16) at the Swiss Tech Convention Centre in Lausanne, when the 16 qualifiers, including champions England, will be split into four groups of four teams.
Also joining the two home nations and hosts Switzerland in the hat are Germany, Spain, Iceland, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Norway, Finland, Poland, Sweden and Belgium.
Ross Juniors Women blow away Droitwich in the wind - Page 31