Her decision came off the back of a loss in Olympic qualifiers against Spain in a penalty shoot-out.
“I went to answer the question, ‘how good can I be?’” McLoughlin says.
She knew the infrastructure was world-class in Belgium having introduced equal pay for male and female players two years ago, which would offer the step up her game required.
A massive moment for the centre-back was getting her name on the back of the jersey.
“The jersey is mine; it has my name on it. In Ireland, I would get a kit for the season and would be expected to return it if I moved club,” she says.
“In Gantoise, I have a permanent locker in the female changing rooms with all my stuff in it and that will be there for the two years that I am contracted to play.”
Has homesickness affected McLoughlin?
“Well, I’ve never been on a J1 as I chose to play hockey during the summers. I was away for six weeks in Bali two years ago but am an only child and very close to my parents.
“I think between my parents they have missed two games in the last 12 years. I thought moving would be tougher, but I am quite an independent person, and I love being in control of my day” she said.
The Dubliner began playing when she was 12 years old and was earmarked as a natural talent. Now playing centre-back, her skill is clearly on show but matched in equal part by a quiet professionalism.
Belgium made it to the semi-finals of the Olympics this year, losing to China and are currently ranked No 3 in the world.
The professional league means McLoughlin’s time is no longer divided between work and sport. After studying economics and finance in UCD she went straight on to the Davy internship and got a flexible working agreement.
The centre-back noted balancing work and sport is a challenge Irish players face: “it’s hard to approach an employer when you are playing professionally”.
For a 24-year-old it’s daunting to move country but the gains proved too tantalising.
Club facilities at Gantoise include meeting rooms, performance rehabilitation on site and a water-based pitch (an international-standard pitch, most pitches in Ireland are not water-based).
Hannah McLoughlin’s spot in the dressing room.
Her new club Gantoise have won the past four league titles, so expectations and standards are high.
Part of moving country is acclimatising to the culture you land in, and in this regard the Belgians are very different.
According to McLoughlin, “relative to Ireland they are a lot more laid-back”.
The young hockey star says they express their feelings in a different manner. “They are incredibly direct, but there is no bad feeling about it.”
In Ireland, there is a sense of, “God, if I give feedback to a fellow player, they will get upset with me”, she says. In her new club, McLoughlin is expected to speak up if she has an issue, to hold it in is seen as a negative.
A new culture, location and team-mates also has its challenges. She moved in August and says: “I’ve settled in really well”.
It is a one hour, 15-minute flight from her local airport to Dublin and having six Irish players on the team has made the transition easier.
“The club set me up with a car, accommodation support and a salary, so I can focus solely on the game”.
Adjusting to a fully professional set-up may be daunting in terms of workload but increased specialisation has advantages.
“I do three trainings a week, one extra technical session, two strength sessions, a video session and maybe one individual mobility session,” she adds.
Hannah McLoughlin’s new club have won the past four league titles, so expectations and standards are high.
The Blackrock native says that being fully pro means you can be more focused.
“I have a lot more time to cook so my nutrition is a lot better.”
Being on the pitch with world-class players means intense focus on the finer details, one of which is nutrition.
“I am still in contact with the Sport Ireland nutritionist, and I have a lot more time to cook from scratch. In Ireland, I used to meal prep a lot more.
When asked where she wants to be in five years, McLoughlin says: “I have been to a World Cup, an Olympics and I play week in, week out with some of the world’s best players. I just want to get better, faster, as these are absolutely necessary when I am called back for international duties.”
McLoughlin’s overall sense of Belgians is: “people back their strengths a lot more here. In something as simple as fashion, no two people are wearing the same thing, they [Belgians]are less concerned with how they are being perceived”.
Gantoise’s newest signing gives a window into how she spends her downtime. “I would often go out for meals on my own, read a book, I’m less self-conscious here about ‘are people looking at me?’ than in Ireland.”
McLoughlin’s goal is clear to build skills and bring them back to the Irish team.
She is contracted for Gantoise for the next two years, like Irish football players of old seeking tougher competition in the Premier League.
Steel sharpens steel and no doubt this move will enrich Ireland’s hockey future.