From Maguiresbridge to Celtic, Casey Howe has already packed plenty into a career that has taken her across the UK and Ireland - but her latest chapter may be the most exciting yet. A Northern Ireland debut at 17, a treble-winning season with Glentoran, a move to Nottingham Forest and promotion with Wolves have all helped shape the County Fermanagh native, who is now testing herself at one of the biggest clubs in Scottish women's football. The 23-year-old got off the mark for Celtic on just her second appearance for the club last Sunday, with a beautiful left-footed curler that finally broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute of an eventual 3-0 win over Montrose in the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL).
"Being just a young girl from Maguiresbridge, it is pretty surreal to do this," Howe told BBC Sport NI. The road to the state-of-the-art training centre at Barrowfield in the East End of Glasgow was one paved with long journeys, family sacrifice and a belief that one day she could reach the highest level. Her parents drove her to Ballinamallard, Cookstown and Belfast four or five days a week as the fleet-footed forward progressed through the ranks.
"They wanted to give me the best platform to be the best I can," she said. "They were massive in enabling me to take these opportunities and get these opportunities because if it wasn't for them sacrificing a lot of driving, a lot of miles, I wouldn't be here." Northern Ireland winger Howe joins Celtic after Forest exit Those sacrifices helped Howe progress at home before opportunities abroad began to emerge. Following spells with Linfield, Glentoran and Sligo Rovers, a prolific period at Athlone Town in the League of Ireland Women's Premier Division caught the eye across the water.
Now, at Celtic, she believes she has found the environment to take her game to another level. "I think as a player, you're always looking to develop in any training session. "It's definitely a big improvement tactically, and we're adapting to different styles, getting used to how Grant Scott (Celtic head coach) wants us to play, so we're always adapting tactically and keeping on top of the technical stuff." Celtic's attacking approach is particularly appealing to Howe, with the 14-cap international relishing the chance to express herself in the final third.
"We're trying to play a nice attacking brand of football, and as an attacker myself, that's the way you want to play and want to be a part of, is when you're attacking and playing free-flowing football. "I think that's when you get the best out of people, is when you have that freedom to go forward and make different runs, make different movements, and dribble and drive at people so it's definitely perfect for the way I like to play." It's an approach that Howe believes brings the best out of her. "I've played under people in the past where it's almost robotic.
You have to do this movement, that movement, but to have the freedom to be allowed to run into different areas or make different movements, it just makes for an all-round performance, team-wise, because everyone's moving. "It makes it difficult to play against, so it definitely gives you confidence as a player. "I think you're being backed to do that, and you're being allowed to do that.
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