AMY COSTELLO’S year has been nothing less than exhausting; from an Olympic campaign with the GB hockey side to dealing with being oh so close to making her Olympic debut in Tokyo to a move to Germany, it’s little wonder the 23-year-old is looking forward to a well-earned break. 

However, she needs one last push before she can hang up her stick, at least temporarily. 

Beginning today, Costello will spearhead the Scotland side in Pisa as they attempt to successfully navigate the World Cup qualifiers, and book their spot at the main event next summer. 

Next year’s tournament will mark 20 years since Scotland’s last appearance at the World Cup and so Costello is in no doubt about the importance of the coming days. 

The Scots, who are seeded third, will open their campaign against Poland, before a likely meeting with second seeds, Italy. Top seeds Ireland are favourites to claim the one available qualifying spot on offer but despite a few nerves, Costello has a quiet confidence that her side can do what is required to book their place in next year’s World Cup 

“I’m really excited, but quite nervous as well because I think this is probably bigger than the Europeans or Commonwealth Games or even the World Cup itself because this is what gets you there. If you mess it up, that’s it,” she says. 

“I think you have to have a certain amount of belief that you can win it – we’ve beaten Ireland in the past, although they’ve beaten us too.  

“Hopefully the good performance is there but you also need that belief that you can grind out a result. 

“I have a lot of belief that we can do it - and hopefully the other girls do too - that we can qualify.” 

Costello may have had a hectic year but having Scotland’s qualifying campaign to focus on is perhaps not a bad thing considering the rollercoaster of emotions she went through as part of the GB hockey side. 

Having been part of the British Olympic squad for almost five years, Costello’s goal was, of course, to make the cut for the team for Tokyo. 

She came agonisingly close to the final squad of 16, being selected as one of the two accredited reserves meaning she enjoyed many of the benefits of being in the team like staying in the Athletes’ Village but missed out on one crucial aspect of the Olympic experience; stepping onto the pitch. 

For someone who still has many more years ahead of her in the international sphere, Costello was wise enough to glean every advantage she could from her status as a reserve, but she admits that watching her teammates fight their way to a bronze medal without playing a part in the matches was far from easy. 

“In the lead-up to Tokyo, I got the impression I wasn’t going to be in the 16 so I made it a big goal to get that 17th or 18th spot. So when the selections came out, I was obviously massively disappointed to not be in the 16 but I was pleased to be a reserve,” she says. 

“The hardest part was when the tournament started and every game, we’d be filling ice buckets and things like that – we wanted to help as much as we could because we still wanted to be a part of it. It wasn’t easy but I’m young enough that I’ve got another one, maybe even two, Olympic cycles left in me. 

“So I wanted to just make the most of Tokyo and learn as much as possible from being there. 

“It also gave me so much motivation to be on the pitch playing next time rather than having that second-hand experience as a reserve.” 

Already Costello has one eye on making sure she makes the full squad for the 2024 Olympics, which is why, in the aftermath of Tokyo 2020, she decided to step out of her comfort zone and move to Germany. 

Having spent her entire career playing hockey in the UK, the Edinburgh native decided it was time for a change, putting pen to paper with Uhlenhorster HC in Hamburg, despite knowing only a handful of people in Germany and barely speaking the language. 

Taking the leap was though, she believed, vital for her development. 

“It’s really good to have this opportunity in Hamburg - I looked at going to Holland but a lot of the GB and England girls were going there and I wanted something a bit different,” she says.  

“There’s a few familiar faces from Scotland out here and the standard of hockey is really good here too so this will be something very different for me. I’ll hopefully develop different parts of my game that I can use going forward.” 

Costello’s season has just a few more weeks left to run, after which that break she is craving will become a reality. 

With next season already on the horizon, Costello admits she has already turned her attention to what could be another jam-packed year. 

“After the season finishes in Germany, I’ll take a break – mentally as much as anything,” she says.  

“I think I need a bit of time to decompress before what will be a busy year in 2022 with, hopefully, the World Cup, as well as the Commonwealth Games.”