Leanne Kiernan didn't linger on her omission from the Republic of Ireland's World Cup squad last summer. She's too philosophical, too laid back to dwell on things beyond her control.
Instead she went back to the family pig farm in Bailieborough, Co Cavan to muck in and spend some precious time at home.
The 26-year-old Liverpool striker had worked incredibly hard to recover from an ankle problem that derailed most of her season, but she couldn't prove to Vera Pauw that she was fit enough to make the plane.
Handed a start against Zambia in the penultimate friendly before the tournament, Kiernan looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders in a tough first half that ended with Ireland 1-0 down and toiling.
At the break, Kiernan made way for Amber Barrett, who scored twice as the Girls in Green recovered to win 3-2. And that was that. Barrett, Kyra Carusa, Abbie Larkin and Marissa Sheva were the quartet of attackers used in Australia, while Kiernan stayed at home.
"I don't think I was that disappointed, which is maybe strange in other people's eyes," she said at the team's Castleknock Hotel base ahead of Friday's Euro 2024 clash with Sweden at the Aviva Stadium.
"I very much believe that what's for me won't pass me. I wasn't supposed to go that World Cup, I wasn't ready. And I'm okay with that. I had a really nice summer. I feel like there was an awful lot of people disappointed for me, but I was chilling! I was having a good time.
"Of course it would have been nice to be involved but I just feel like, Leanne wasn't ready to go that one. I feel like I'll be ready for the next one.
"I'd a really nice summer with my family which maybe I don't get. I left (for England) six or seven years ago and I haven't been home for a long time. I cherish those moments. You don't get five, six weeks with your family very often and it's very important for me to be around good people."
That period of decompression was further heped by Liverpool boss Matt Beard, a massive influence on a player who has slowly but surely returned to top form after an injury-ravaged spell.
Beard was named the Women's Super League Manager of the Year last week and was one of the many names touted to replace Pauw when she parted ways with Ireland nine months ago. He's a highly rated, popular figure in the game.
"He rang me and was like, 'when are you coming back?'" Kiernan recalled.
"Take away the whole football aspect, he's a very good dad. He's a father figure. He's just a good person, genuine, you know where you stand which I feel is very important in football.
"He's very family orientated, he has his kids around at all the games, his wife. It's a family atmosphere at the club. Matt is very good at creating a culture."
Kiernan bounces into Ireland camp off the back of a stunning hat-trick in Liverpool's last game of the league campaign. Introduced in the 65th minute, she found the net three times as the Reds powered past Leicester City 4-0 to clinch fourth spot.
She was used off the bench for Ireland in the qualifier defeats to France and England, and offers a commodity head coach Eileen Gleeson is in short supply of: pace. Kiernan has the tools to stretch tiring defences, but she wants to start and is not afraid to declare her main ambition.
"Naturally I'd like to think I could be the No 9 with Ireland," she said.
"I guess for the last few games I knew they were building up my minutes a lot in club, so they didn't want to throw me into 90 minutes. I knew I had 30 miniutes in my tank to go flat out.
"Everything else will fall into place, I know it."
"Of course you see the game different (from the bench), you're coming into a game where defenders are naturally more tired than at the start of the game, so there's more room for error. But the end goal is start the game. Being a part of this squad, I'm really enjoying, it and that's the most important thing for me right now.
"Everything else will fall into place, I know it. I know I work hard. I just need to focus on the wee things right now."
Kiernan has only ever played at the Aviva Stadium twice: once for Shelbourne in the 2016 FAI Cup final, and then against the English in March. This Friday she'll get the chance to walk out at Lansdowne Road against when the world No 6-ranked Swedes come to town, and it's not something she's taking for granted.
"It's big isn't it!" Kierna laughed. "It's a brilliant achievement. Everybody - staff, players, everybody - deserve this. They've been great over the last few years, putting Ireland on the map. There's no reason why we can't be in the Aviva.
"I arrived home there and had people saying, 'oh Leanne we must get tickets, it'd be great to see you'. I'm from a town that's very Gaelic-orientated. It's nice to see they're all wanting to come and watch the football."
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