Former Northern Ireland internationals Marissa Callaghan and Ashley Hutton have announced their retirement from football.
Both players’ careers came to an end before the finale of the women’s season, the Challenge Cup final, between their two teams Linfield and Cliftonville.
Callaghan was suspended for the match after receiving a red card against the Blues in a league match last month and Hutton missed the match through injury.
Both have been key figures in the growth of women’s football in Northern Ireland, both domestically and internationally.
Former NI captain Callaghan retired from international football earlier this year after winning 91 caps and leading her country to Euro 2022, her first major women’s tournament.
Callaghan rose through the ranks at Cliftonville and captained the team as they won their first Premiership trophy in 2022.
She played a key role as the Reds won the domestic treble last season and was a standout player in the 2025 campaign as they completed the cup double and also competed in the Champions League for the first time.
Throughout her career, Callaghan has strived to inspire the next generation and works as an administrator for women’s and girls’ football at the Irish FA Foundation.
Hutton earned 114 caps and scored in nine teams for Northern Ireland and had many memorable memories in a green and white shirt, including a goal in his 100th cap against Wales.
After joining Linfield in 2012, the defender was part of the team that impressively won four consecutive Women’s Premiership titles between 2016 and 2019.
He also won three Challenge Cups and a League Cup and represented the club in Europe on multiple occasions.