Scottish Women's Football

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Kirsty Morrison has extended her Hibs contract for another season.

The forward made her first senior appearance back in 2019 and passed 100 appearance for the Edinburgh outfit last season.

Despite being injured for the first half of the 2023-24 campaign, Morrison scored two goals and offered up five assists.

"I'm thrilled to continue my journey with Hibernian," the attacker said.

"The support from the club and the fans has been great, and I look forward to contributing to the team for the upcoming season.”

"I've been at this club for a long time, so I’m looking forward to another year and looking forward to what that brings."

Manager Grant Scott added: "Securing Kirsty for another year is a testament to her exceptional talent and dedication to the team.

"Her commitment and consistent performances have been invaluable following her return from injury, and we're pleased to have her continue to be a vital part of the squad."

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Striker Kathleen McGovern has crossed the Edinburgh divide with a move from Hearts to Hibs.

McGovern joined Hearts a year ago and scored 11 league goals as Eva Olid's finished third in the SWPL and reached the Scottish Cup final last season.

The forward began her professional career with Celtic and was part of the side that lifted the SWPL Cup in 2021-22.

She also spent time in Germany before returning to Scotland last summer.

"I am delighted to be signing for Hibs," the 21-year-old said, who has agreed a contract until 2026.

"As soon as I spoke to [head coach] Grant [Scott], I knew the correct decision for me was to come here.

"He was really positive about the ambition and where the club is going, which is something that I want to be a part of."

Head coach Grant Scott says McGovern's "talent and forward-thinking play" will be a "great asset" to his side.

He added: "I've followed the progress of Kathleen's career following her breakthrough season at Celtic and admired her play since then.

"We look forward to seeing her linking up with our other forward players and contributing to our success in the seasons to come."

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Eilidh Austin says she's finally "finding her groove" at Rangers after stepping up to the first team.

The 19-year-old defender signed her first professional contract last summer after coming up through the youth system and recently committed her future to Jo Potter's side for the next two campaigns.

"It has been great," she told club media, external.

"I have learned a lot. It has been tough at times but I have enjoyed every minute and I can't wait for that to continue.

"Obviously Jo has a lot of experience being a player herself, I have learned a lot from her and I can't wait for that to carry on.

"Scoring my first goal for the club as well last season was a big moment for me.

"It is a bit of a step up from academy to first team. It took me a couple of months to get into it but now I think I am finding my groove and I am improving all the time."

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Erin Clachers has extended her Glasgow City contract keeping her at Petershill until at least 2027.

The goalkeeper has spent a decade with City having begun her career within the academy and worked her way up to the first team.

"I’m very happy to be extending my time with Glasgow City," Clachers told c, externallub media. , external

"I’ve loved being a part of the club and I’m looking forward to the future."

Head of goalkeeping Jamie Ewings added: "I'm thrilled that Erin has committed her future to Glasgow City with this new contract extension.

"Since I have joined the club, she has shown me what a phenomenally talented goalkeeper she is, along with being an excellent teammate.

"The group of goalkeepers we currently have put us in an extremely strong position, and Erin is a vital part of our group.

"I’m excited to continue working with her to further her development as a player and achieve even more success in the future at City."

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Rangers manager Jo Potter says she's delighted goalkeeper Victoria Esson has committed to another season at the club.

Esson put pen to paper on an extension keeping her at the Glasgow club until next summer.

The 33-year-old joined Rangers in 2022 and has played an important role in their recent cup successes.

"Rangers has been my home for the last few years and I've really enjoyed my two years at the club," the New Zealand international told club media, external.

"It’s a great group of girls, alongside strong coaching staff, and I’m really looking forward to another campaign at Rangers."

Manager Jo Potter added: "Vic has been a hugely influential member of the squad over my time at the club and it is pleasing she has signed an extension until next summer.

"She is part of a highly competitive goalkeeping unit at the club who continue to push each other every day, and I believe her character and temperament will be vital to our ambitions ahead of the upcoming season."

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Hearts' Jenna Penman becomes Motherwell's first signing of the summer.

The Scottish youth international defender joins the Lanarkshire side after two years with the Edinburgh outfit.

Her other accolades include helping Aberdeen to SWPL1 promotion and featuring for Hearts in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden last month.

"I'm delighted to be joining Motherwell," Penman told club media, external.

"When I spoke to Paul Brownlie and Leanne Crichton, it was evident that the ambition and ethos of the club was exactly in line with my ambitions.

"Motherwell is a great place for me to develop and I am very excited to get started."

Manager Brownlie added: "Jenna will bring real quality to our backline.

"She is someone I've known for several years and has caught my eye with some impressive performances against us last season.

"Jenna is a very versatile defender, has real quality in possession but also loves to defend. She's exactly the player I wanted to add to the squad."

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Scotland winger Rachel McLauchlan is ending her "memorable" Rangers career this summer.

The club have confirmed the departure of the 26-year-old, who joined from Glasgow City in January 2021.

McLauchlan helped Rangers to their first SWPL title in her first full season and moves on having lifted the League Cup and Scottish Cup last term.

"The past three years at Rangers has brought me so many moments that I will cherish for the rest of my career," said McLauchlan.

"From breaking new ground with the women’s side by winning the league for the first time, to scoring in the Scottish Cup final just last month, it has been a memorable period in my life.

"I would like to thank all my team-mates who I have shared a dressing room with over the years, as well as all the coaches that I have worked under.

"Most importantly, I would like to express my gratitude towards the supporters who have shown an unwavering support towards me in the past three years, and I wish the club every success for the future."

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Shannon McGregor has declared herself ready to thrive on the pressure at Celtic after her move from Hibs.

The midfielder became the SWPL champions' first summer arrival earlier this month and has since been followed by defenders Amy Richardson and Bruna Lourenco and midfielders Signe and Mathilde Carstens.

Having spent the last seven seasons with Hibs - winning three domestic cups - Celtic fan McGregor, 24, now aims to "challenge myself again" at Elena Sadiku's side.

"Coming to Celtic I know I’ve got competition and I’m looking forward to that," she said.

"I’m extremely excited, I’ve grown up as a Celtic fan my whole life, so I’m really looking forward to it.

"I want to progress myself and challenge myself as a player and as a person again.

“Being in the Champions League and looking to win the league here as well, it’s going to challenge me and that’s what I’m looking to do.

"Any new player is going to have pressure. Even just going into a new changing room is going to be different for me.

"But I want to feel that pressure, I want that pressure to move me forward as a player and as a person."

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Jenna Ferguson says it was an "easy decision" to leave Rangers for a permanent deal with Partick Thistle.

The Scotland Under-19 defender has joined Brian Graham's side after impressing on loan last season, playing 24 games and helping Thistle to a top-six league finish and SWPL Cup final appearance.

Ferguson, 18, said: "I really enjoyed my time at Thistle last season so it was an easy decision to make to come back permanently.

"I got a lot of experience of first-team football and I feel it really helped me grow and improve as a player.

"After such a good season for the team last year, I’m excited to get back and look to improve on that."

Manager Graham said Ferguson is impressively "calm and composed on the ball" for a teenager and can "still improve so much".

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Former Hibernian captain Joelle Murray is hoping professional status across the women's game will make the league more competitive.

Murray, who retired this year, recently participated in a women's football summit in Bilbao.

The former Scotland defender played a big part in the progress of women's football in the country and wants to see that continue.

"It’s important to hear what other countries are doing in certain areas within the women's game," Murray told Fifpro, external.

"Hopefully, between players and union representatives, we can take that back to our respective countries and implement them for the betterment of the game.

"As a footballer playing in Scotland, we want to strive towards that fully professional status across the game, which in turn would – and should – hopefully make the competition a lot closer when it comes to competitive games."

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Dutch midfielder Tessel Middag has extended her Rangers stay to a fourth season after signing a one-year contract extension.

The 31-year-old, who joined the club in 2021, was an ever-present last season, making 41 appearances as Jo Potter's side won the Scottish Cup and SWPL Cup.

"I’m delighted to stay at Rangers for another year," said Middag.

"It has been great - I came in the first place because I want to play at the highest level and for trophies.

"We qualified ourselves for Champions League qualification rounds, which is another massive thing to look forward to in the new season.

"I am absolutely delighted to stay. We have a very good set of facilities and I am really looking forward to the new season already."

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Portugal defender Bruna Lourenco has become Celtic boss Elena Sadiku's fifth summer signing after making the switch from Sporting Lisbon.

Lourenco, 25, has signed a two-year deal with the SWPL champions.

During eight years with Sporting, Lourenco won two league titles and three domestics cups as well as captaining the side on several occasions.

"I am delighted that Bruna’s mentality and drive to win exactly align with our objectives as a team going into next season," Sadiku said.

"Bruna caught my eye with her impressive offensive skills as a centre-back.

"Her ability to break lines and remain calm under pressure, combined with her determination to win the ball back in defence, are exactly what I look for."

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Laura Rafferty was "certain" she wanted to join Rangers after one phone call with head coach Jo Potter.

The Northern Ireland defender, 28, has agreed a two-year deal to move to Ibrox following the expiration of her Southampton contract.

Rafferty, who becomes Potter's third signing this summer, said: "It’s so important to want to play for a manager.

"Jo lives and breathes football and I want to be out on the pitch just as much as anyone else now that I’m 28 and in my prime.

"When you have a manager that wants to make marginal differences and aim for top targets, that’s a dream for me as a player. It was definitely the thing that crossed the line for me.

"One of my ambitions is to win things and be part of a winning mentality, and I know that we have that here with Rangers."

Rafferty made her Northern Ireland debut in 2013 and has more than 30 caps. Starting her senior career at Chelsea, she also turned out for Brighton and Bristol City before joining Southampton in 2021.

Rangers boss Potter is "super excited" to secure Rafferty, adding: "I think you can see her CV and the calibre of player that she is and what she can bring to the squad.

"From the very first conversation that we had I was impressed with her and how she handles herself."