Was split between women’s football power couple behind World Cup handshake snub? Ireland striker refuses to shake Australia star’s hand – after she went to Ibiza with her ex-girlfriend
A stunning snub that saw Irish striker Ruesha Littlejohn refuse to shake hands with Australian star Caitlin Foord may be down to the Matildas player’s close friendship and recent holiday with the Irish ace’s ex-girlfriend, it is alleged.
The awkward on-pitch meeting between the rival forwards, which took place before the Aussies beat Ireland 1-0 in their World Cup opener, has sparked football gossip.
Video footage shows Irish striker Littlejohn appearing to skip Foord during pre-match handshakes before Thursday night’s kick-off in a highly unusual disapproval.
Witnesses say tensions reached a boiling point when Littlejohn appeared to make an attempt to approach Foord after the match and had to be physically restrained by several of her teammates.
Now rumors are circulating about what motivated the Irish striker’s unusual behaviour, with fans speculating it could have something to do with Littlejohn’s recent divorce from longtime partner and Irish captain Katie McCabe.
One of Ireland’s most recognizable sporting couples, Littlejohn and McCabe split after just over seven years together, and McCabe confirmed the split during a recent interview just days ago.
Ruesha Littlejohn’s uneasy disapproval of Caitlin Foord may have come after Foord (left) holidayed with the Irish striker’s ex-girlfriend, Katie McCabe (right)
Ruesha Littlejohn and Caitlin Foord faced each other after the final whistle in Sydney
Footage shows Ruesha Littlejohn completely ignoring Foord in the handshake procession for Ireland’s 1-0 defeat to the Matildas on Thursday night
Littlejohn plays for WSL side Aston Villa, while her ex, McCabe, plays for UK Premier League powerhouse Arsenal. Foord is McCabe’s Arsenal teammate and the pair have been described as ‘good friends’
Littlejohn plays for Women’s Super League side Aston Villa, while her ex, McCabe, plays for UK Arsenal.
Foord is McCabe’s Gunners teammate and the pair recently shared a fun holiday to Ibiza with a group of friends.
Foord also recently went single after splitting from Swiss midfielder and Arsenal teammate Lia Walti.
The Mail does not conclude that Foord had anything to do with the breakdown of Littlejohn and McCabe’s relationship.
“Obviously there is still some tension from Littlejohn’s side of things, which seems to be spilling over a bit on Thursday night,” a source close to the team told the Daily Mail Australia.
Caitlin and Katie are good friends.
They play together for Arsenal. They spend a lot of time together. But that’s all there is.’
News of Littlejohn and McCabe’s split recently made headlines in Ireland, with McCabe referring to Littlejohn in an interview in the past tense as “my partner at the time,” a clear sign that they are no longer together.
Foord (left) and McCabe are said to be part of a close circle of friends at Arsenal
McCabe and Littlejohn vacation together during their seven-year relationship
Happier times: McCabe (L) and Littlejohn during their seven-year relationship
Footage of the “empty” handshake has garnered thousands of views on TikTok, with comments about Littlejohn blatantly skipping Foord’s outstretched hand.
‘It’s clear now [sic] that there is drama between Katie, Reusha and Caitlin’, one Tik Tok user wrote.
“Ruesha that’s too personal,” another wrote.
Foord, contacted through her management, declined to comment on the incident.
Ireland captain Katie McCabe recently confirmed her split from teammate Littlejohn
McCabe is seen shaking hands with injured Aussie skipper Sam Kerr after the defeat
However, Matilda insiders have maintained that Foord and McCabe are just good friends and that their friendship had no bearing on McCabe’s breakup with Littlejohn.
It is believed that the interview was given just two days before the World Cup.
In the piece, McCabe describes how she was taken under the wing of Irish legend Emma Byrne when she signed for Arsenal in late 2015.
Foord was in a relationship with fellow Arsenal teammate Lia Walti until recently
After just over a year with the North London side, then Ireland manager Colin Bell phoned Katie to tell her he was appointing the Arsenal star as captain.
“And a little over a year later, in July 2017, things got even crazier,” McCabe said.
“I was traveling to Coney Island, Northern Ireland, with Ruesha, my partner at the time, and her family. At one point I looked at my phone and saw that I had a missed call from Colin Bell, the Ireland coach.’
The couple started dating around 2016, went on their first date in St. Albans, and took their relationship public in 2019.
“It started with football. She’s a few years older than me,” McCabe told Evoke.ie in 2020.
“I first met her through football and we became good friends from the start and then we started spending a lot more time together off the field socializing together and it took off from there.”
The couple moved in together in St Albans to play for their respective England teams, and during that time McCabe was called up as Ireland captain.
The couple moved in together in St Albans to play for their respective England sides. Take a picture together on vacation
The exes regularly shared beloved snaps on Instagram during their relationship
They’ve spearheaded Pride campaigns to help young people struggling with their sexuality, and regularly shared sweetheart photos together on Instagram during their relationship.
McCabe told the online publication that their shared love of football brought them together.
“We’re both very passionate about it, it’s clear our drive is to win trophies and qualify for championships with the Republic of Ireland. We are both very driven in that sense.
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve collided a few times during certain games and practices, but that’s part of the game. We are very professional when we play football, that is our main focus. Then we can relax when we get home.’