Stephanie Roche on THAT picture: 'I think Ronaldo and Messi were looking at the ground!'

Stephanie Roche admitted the attention of two of the biggest global football stars this week was a nice consolation after finishing runner-up for FIFA's Goal of the Year.

At the award ceremony in Zurich, Roche's wonder-strike for Peamount United finished second to James Rodriguez, who became the sixth winner of the Puskas award for his World Cup strike for Colombia.

Roche claimed 1.1 million of the public votes, treble that of the other finalist, Holland's Robin van Persie.

While she was thrilled to make it that far, the striker had hoped to take home the top prize.

"I'd think I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed," she told Ryan Tubridy on tonight's Late Late Show.

"I think as a footballer and as a sportsperson, you obviously want to win everything you want to go in to. But at the same time I was just so proud of the support I got from everybody."

"That is what gave me the hope and belief I had a chance because of the support all over Ireland and the world was so good."

Roche was also at the centre of attention following a picture from the ceremony which showed Cristaino Ronaldo and Lionel Messi focusing their attentions on the Irish international as she strode past the stars.

"I think there might have been something on the ground they were looking at that caught their eye," she joked

"Obviously that photo was going around a lot and my friends text me directly after the awards to say 'don't be too disappointed, you had two of the best footballers eyeing you up.'"

"It was nice I got their attention a little bit," she said before adding that there was little chance of her boyfriend, Bray Wanderers' footballer Dean Zambra getting jealous over the picture.

"I think he was okay about it," she added. "He knows I'm not going anywhere soon."

Online Editors