If you thought it was surreal to feel the relief of qualification to the last 16 of the European Championships, imagine being the woman whose arms were wrapped around the game winner.
A Robbie Brady header, at the very death, ensured that the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2016 campaign would not end at the group stage and, to celebrate, the Norwich star sprinted straight to his brothers and girlfriend in the Stade Pierre-Mauroy crowd.
In some of the most beautiful images seen at this summer’s Euros, Brady was enveloped by loved ones as the entire nation of Ireland erupted in rapture.
WATCH: The Brady family celebrating Robbie's late winner will send goosebumps up your spine https://t.co/VAXW2a3t0H
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 22, 2016
“It was such a blur,” Brady’s girlfriend Kerrie Harris told Kathryn Thomas on RTÉ Radio One. “I’m trying to even remember it was that much of a blur but I don’t know how I managed. I was up on one of Robbie’s brother’s shoulders at one stage getting down to the front to see him and then I think it was one of his brothers that got me to the front there and I managed to see him then. The fans were just going crazy.”
Harris explained that “it was magical” to be able to wrap her arms around her boyfriend, with whom she has a two-year-old daughter, and continued to reveal how Brady has been reacting to his dramatic game-winning goal.
“After speaking to Robbie, he is just so overwhelmed,” Harris added. “I know it’s a cliché to say this but it really is a dream come true.
“He really is overwhelmed, completely, by the support of family and friends, everyone is contacting me. He’s absolutely buzzing for the next game and they’re ready to take on France.”
The pair’s daughter was not in attendance on Wednesday night as the 8pm kick-off (9pm France time) would have been too late for young daughter Halle.
“I brought my little girl to the first two games, she was at the Paris game and the Bordeaux game and I had my dad there with me and Robbie’s brothers and family were there,” Harris said.
“I came to this game and I left my little girl at home because it was a little past her bedtime, so I left her at home with my mum and I brought my sister and her fiancé and Robbie’s aunties and his brothers, everyone was here cheering him on.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHANGgoN6hj/?taken-by=kerrie.harris.s2s
The victory was no more than Ireland deserved, considering the overall performance on Wednesday and Harris explained how she had a feeling that the win was an inevitability when she saw Wes Hoolahan coming on to the pitch in the 77th minute.
“Obviously I have so much belief in him (Robbie) all the time and faith, but with the pressure of (the Italy) game, I did think the whole team were excellent but when he got that ball in the net, I nearly lost my life, it was just incredible, it really was.
“We’re still trying to let it settle in, after the game I just went back to the hotel. I was just so overwhelmed by it all. I can believe it but I can’t – it’s fantastic.
“I knew the pressure was on but I did have all the faith in him, and him and Wes together, they’re good and when Wes came on I got a good feeling and then it happened.”
It certainly did!
