Scottish Women's Football

Image source, Glasgow City FC

South Africa midfielder Linda Motlhalo has returned to Glasgow City on a deal until summer 2026.

The 26-year-old, who has 83 caps, scored four goals in 34 appearances in her first City spell before leaving a year ago to sign for NWSL side Racing Louisville.

''I'm so happy to be back," Motlhalo said. "This place brings back a lot of great memories. Glasgow will always be like a second home.

"When I first left Leanne [Ross] and all the staff said if you ever want to come back this will always be home. I didn't even think twice when they called to say I could come back.''

Head coach Leanne Ross is delighted to have the midfielder back in her ranks.

"A player with undoubted quality, Linda will bring an experience on the pitch and a personality off it which can only help us as we continue to work hard to achieve our goals for success this season," said Ross.

You'll struggle to find a tighter league than the SWPL.

Two points separate first and fourth, while the top two are locked on 50 points after 20 games.

Only goal difference keeps Glasgow City above Celtic, and it's fitting the pair meet on Friday night in front of the BBC Scotland cameras.

Leanne Ross' league leaders got the better of the reigning domestic champions in the Scottish Cup fewer than two weeks ago, and Celtic head coach Elena Sadiku said that "adds fuel" for her side.

"We always want to get back on and we always want to do better, but also I think we need to be confident because it was a good game," the Swede said.

"It fuels us because we had a really good first half, like everybody saw.

"It's going to be a tough, even game but I also do believe that the girls should be confident going into it because these are the games we want to play and these games that we should be very excited for."

The City camp are just as excited, too.

Determined to win back the league title which for so long was solely theirs, and show they can compete with the well-back Celtic and Rangers, their motivation couldn't be higher.

"It's interesting playing them so soon again, there's a lot to take from that game," defender Amy Muir said.

"There were a lot of good things in there that we'll look to do again by imposing ourselves.

"We're at home again and we've got a good record here, so I'm looking forward to it."

It may be Valentine's Day, but, there'll be no love lost between these two.

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"Vibrant" Freya Gregory will "fit in really well" when she joins the Scotland squad for the first time next week, believes captain and former team-mate, Rachel Corsie.

Former England youth international Gregory received her first call-up last week when interim head coach Michael McArdle named her in his first squad for the Nations League openers against Austria and the Netherlands later this month.

The 22-year-old joined Newcastle United last month having spent the previous five years at Aston Villa, where she was a team-mate of Corsie's.

"I'm actually really excited for Freya," Corsie said of Gregory - who spent the last six months on loan at Southampton - on the BBC's Behind the Goals podcast.

"About nine months ago we had a conversation - she's spent a bit of time in Scotland in the last couple of years and she'll always send me a message whenever she's in Edinburgh exploring.

"I'm excited for her. She's a promising young player, she's got an excellent left foot, she's 100mph and she's very competitive - that's the football side of her.

"I'd describe her as a vibrant character with a lot of personality, I think she'll fit in really well. I know the girls will look after her and I hope she has a really good week and she trains really well because I know that she'll be very nervous."

Gregory will have a familiar face in Kirsty Hanson, who she also shared a dressing room with at Villa, but, she won't have Corsie herself who suffered another set-back on her return to fitness.

"I was a bit down last week and I wasn't mentally in a position to talk about it, it was very raw," the 35-year-old, who hasn't played for Scotland since July, said.

"I was meant to be back with the team this week and I got a little scare, I thought I'd irritated something worse than I had.

"It's not as worrying as I thought it might have been - I'm still probably a couple of weeks away from being back in with the team - at one point it was looking like a few more weeks than it actually is going to be.

"When you've been injured you feel everything a bit more and that just brings a bit of anxiety with it and I panicked.

"I'm feeling a bit better this week and just trying to get over this hurdle."

Listen and subscribe to the BBC's Behind the Goals podcast here

Manager Paul Brownlie says a top-six finish for part-time Motherwell would be an "incredible achievement".

Should Brownlie's side beat Aberdeen on Sunday they will confirm their top-six place with a game to spare before the split.

"We're within touching distance, we're nearly there, and it would be an incredible achievement for everybody at the football club," he told the BBC's Behind the Goals podcast.

"Until it's done, we can't take our foot off the gas. But when it is done, we'll enjoy it.

"I understand the task we have this weekend, we play Aberdeen, a tough game, Scott [Booth] has done a lot of work to try and develop the squad at Aberdeen.

"We went there just before the turn of the year and won 6-0. It was one of our best performances of the season, especially for the second half, we went in 0-0 at half-time.

"The players in the second half that night were unbelievable, and that was a huge turning point for us."

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Jennifer Currie (Partick Thistle): Produced save after save in the draw with Hearts. But for the 28-year-old, Hearts could have been out of sight in the opening 45 minutes. She also made a vital stop at 1-1 towards the end of the match, helping her side to a good away point.

Kimberley Smit (Glasgow City): Dutch defender came on at the start of the second half against Montrose and hit the ground running. Was heavily involved in City's sixth and grabbed the seventh while also helping her side to a clean sheet.

Demi Falconer (Partick Thistle): Impressed at the back with some crucial blocks. One moment summed up her commitment as she chased back and made a brilliant timely tackle to stop Hearts getting a shot away.

Katie Rice (Motherwell): Scored a timely opener in the win over Spartans as half-time loomed. Fast becoming a goal threat for the side while doing her job at the back.

Morgan Cross (Celtic): The 23-year-old attacker, who joined from Motherwell last summer, is finding her feet at Celtic. Impressed in the rout of Dundee United, proving a menace on the wing with her pace and power.

Kirsten Reilly (Hibs): Headed in Hibs' second to make things a bit more comfortable against resilient Queen's Park.

Aleigh Gambone (Glasgow City): The American scored her fifth goal of the season with the opener against Montrose which set the tone for a dominant display.

Rio Hardy (Rangers): Handed a start and grabbed her opportunity, scoring two and could have had more in the 10-goal thrashing of Aberdeen. The 28-year-old set up the opening goal too.

Carla Boyce (Partick Thistle): Instant impact off the bench. Held the ball up well and scored the equaliser. Not only did it get Thistle back in the game, it provided a real shot in the arm as they mounted more attacks.

Katie Wilkinson (Rangers): The striker's incredible scoring form continues as she grabbed a hat-trick to take her season's goal tally to 34. Her opener was a special one for the club - it was Rangers' 700th professional goal.

Abi Harrison (Celtic): The Scotland striker marked her first start for Celtic with her first hat-trick for the club. So composed in front of goal, what an addition she is to the Celtic attack.

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Queen's Park head coach Iain Robinson: "We've got to defend moments better.

"We're conceding goals at bad times. It's two mistakes but overall I thought we defended well.

"Losing the second goal was a real kick in the teeth for us. The second half was a positive for us but ultimately we need to start picking up points."

Hibs assistant manager Stewart Hall: "I think we had a very sticky performance. Defensively I thought we were structured well but I felt in possession we were scrappy and tried to force things in the final third which is out of character for us.

"The main thing is three points, a clean sheet and we'll focus on the next one now."

Image source, Colin Poultney/SWPL

Motherwell manager Paul Brownlie: "It was a big win for us, a big win in the context of the season.

"We knew it would be tough and it turned out that way but I'm delighted with a big three points.

"We asked the players to go and try and attack the game from the first minute and I thought we did that well.

"In the second half we started the game with a real intent, scored in the first minute or so and never looked back after that."

Spartans manager Jack Beesley: "I'm disappointed with the result, I thought for large spells it was an even game.

"I thought the first half was an even affair, they had chances as did we. We concede poor goals from our perspective at key moments and we don't score at key moments.

"The disappointing thing is we wanted to measure up and I didn't think we were far away but the big difference is they were clinical when it mattered we weren't."

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Glasgow City manager Leanne Ross: "It was a really pleasing performance, I thought we had a real intent to be an attacking threat and it was really pleasing we got the reward because of that.

"It's important to make sure we keep scoring goals and keep the goal difference really positive but the first thing we need to go out and make sure is that we win the three points."

Montrose manager Craig Feroz: "I thought we played against a good team. I thought they were excellent and I don't think we really turned up.

"I've got 100% confidence in the team. That won't define our season, our season starts when the split starts."

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Rangers manager Jo Potter: "I was really pleased with the performance, I thought we were dominant for 90 minutes.

"You can see the front three have a really good relationship, it's tough to only pick two of them.

"We've got a strong front line, it's difficult for me to pick at times but they all did their job."

Aberdeen manager Scott Booth: "I think the scoreline is one thing and the performance and desire and work ethic are another.

"Excuses aside because you don't want to make any excuses but we'd lost a number of players which impacted our ability to compete.

"There is things we could do better but at the same time the players couldn't have worked any harder."

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Hearts manager Eva Olid: "I'm frustrated because I thought we were excellent in the first half.

"We had so many clear chances it could have been 4-0 in the first half. Partick is a team that never give up, we know they are aggressive and can score in set plays which they did.

"The game was more transitional in the second half and that suited them more than us.

"I believe totally in this project and this team and I know good things are coming."

Partick Thistle manager Brian Graham: "We knew it was going to be a real difficult game for us having played midweek.

"I was happy it was only 1-0 at half-time, Hearts probably could've been further in front but that's football.

"On the flip side we could have won it [in the second half]. So I'm disappointed not to win the game but my players showed great character today."

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Dundee United manager Suzy Shepherd: "To be honest I think there were so many positives. The biggest disappointment was the first two goals we lost because it's something we've covered a lot in training.

"But to reset and show a good account of ourselves, I thought the girls did really well. The attitude, the application, the work rate, the aggressiveness, the girls should be really proud of themselves."

Celtic head coach Elena Sadiku: "We created a lot of chances, scored eight goals, looking at the performance we were solid throughout the whole game.

"We did our job and got a good win.

"It was great to get a start for Abi [Harrison], it's great competition between her and Saoirse [Noonan] so we have two good strikers competing for a spot."

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Partick Thistle haven't had much time to rest and prepare for Sunday's game against Hearts.

They were held to a goalless draw by Scott Booth's Aberdeen on Wednesday night, plunging their top six hopes further into doubt as they now sit four points behind sixth-place Motherwell in the table.

They're also only four clear of the Dons below them and have an even tougher test in the form of a trip to the Oriam.

Hearts had been going strong at the top end of the table, putting pressure on the top three sides but a blip in their record, a 4-0 defeat to Celtic, coupled with Hibs' incredible run, means Eva Olid's side are now four points behind their rivals in fourth and Rangers in third.

Brian Graham's side have been known to cause an upset on their day but it's been almost three years since they last snatched a win over Hearts - that was a 4-2 victory away from home back in February 2022.

Since then, bar a 1-1 draw in May last year, Hearts have come out on top in every meeting between the pair in the last three years.

Watch live on BBC

The game will be live to watch on the BBC Sport website and app. It kicks off at 13:00.

There will also be live text commentary of the other games, starting at 12:50 on the BBC Sport Scotland app and website.

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Michael McArdle said he is "a servant leader" and his aim as Scotland interim head coach is to allow the players "to be the best version of themselves".

McArdle will take charge of the national team for their opening two Nations League A games against Austria and the Netherlands later this month as the search continues for a permanent successor to the sacked Pedro Martinez Losa.

It will be the first meet-up since the Euro 2025 play-off pain in Finland in December, and McArdle is anticipating some players will still find it "difficult" when they come back next week.

"My full focus just now is just on the camp," he said.

"It's about the players more importantly. My leadership style is very servant, I'm a servant leader, so I'm here to make sure I can allow the players and the staff to be the best version of themselves moving forward.

"It'll be difficult for some because they've got that kind of feeling from the last cycle."

When asked about this squad - which has 10 new faces from the Finland roster - McArdle said "balance" is key.

"We need experience, we need a strong spine, and when you're including youth players and promoting youth players to these environments, it's crucial we surround them with that strength, quality and experience, so the balance is crucial," he added.

"The youth is crucial as well, because there is exciting talent coming through, so it's a moment in time where we need to recognise that. But, age is irrelevant, it's about who the best players are at this time."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Michael McArdle has been speaking to the media after naming his first Scotland squad as interim head coach for the opening Nations League games.

Here are are the key things he said:

• McArdle is "proud and honoured" to be appointed interim head coach and insists "the future is bright".

• After making nine changes from the squad beaten by Finland in the Euros play-off final - including six uncapped players - he said now is a good time for "freshness", "looking forward to the future" and to "reward players".

• He stressed it's an "exciting opportunity" for SWNT and added "he's been living" among the new generation of talent and so "doesn't just feel" they're the team who can get Scotland back to a major tournament.

• McArdle's full focus in on the camp, not a potential permanent appointment. His remit is to have Scotland playing in League A consistently.

• The interim head coach wants to bring "entertainment and energy" to the fanbase to excite them and win back their support.

• McArdle confirmed Leanne Ross will be his assistant while Stewart Hall from Hibernian and Chris Flockhart will also join his staff.

• In his role as head of women's elite football, McArdle added "alignment is vital" with the Under-17, Under-19 and Under-23 set-ups.

• He confirmed captain Rachel Corsie suffered another setback and is "several weeks" away from a return.

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Aberdeen continued their resurgence under head coach Scott Booth as they earned a goalless draw at home to Partick Thistle in the SWPL.

After winning three games in a row, two in the league and one in the Scottish Cup, Booth's side held top-six hopefuls Thistle.

Tiree Burchill went close late on for Jags as they pushed for a winner, while Kerry Beattie also had a chance in the closing stages for Aberdeen.

But a draw still nudges Booth's side seven points clear of the relegation zone, while Thistle remain four points in front in seventh place, and four points off the top six.

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Scotland will play at Tannadice for the first time when they host Germany in their second home women's Nations League Group A1 game in April.

Scotland, guided by interim head coach Mick McArdle following Pedro Martinez Losa's exit in December, will kick-off their campaign later this month in Austria before welcoming the Netherlands to Hampden.

The national stadium remains SWNT's home, but, the Scots played both of their Euro 2025 play-off home legs at the end of last year at Easter Road, having hosted Serbia at Firhill in July, too.

The national team were last in Dundee in July 2023 for a friendly victory against Northern Ireland at Dens Park.

Tannadice will host the first match of a double-header with Germany, before Scotland round of their campaign at Hampden against Austria four days before they visit the Netherlands for their final game.

Emma Hunter, head of the girls' academy at Hearts, stresses academies "need to keep up" with the growth of Scottish women's football as more and more clubs look abroad for players.

Hunter, who was head coach of Aberdeen before moving to the Edinburgh club, added clubs need to prioritise their academy too and "not just think of the here and now".

Just last week, Eva Olid added Dutch defender Danique Ypema from Feyenoord before American striker Ashley Williams signed on Tuesday.

"One of the big key messages when I came into this role was that you can see the women's game growing even in Scotland," Hunter said on the BBC's Behind the Goals podcast.

"[Clubs are] buying players from abroad, they're bringing in players and spending money, but we need to make sure we're keeping up and we're producing young players too.

"It saves money and it's something that we want to continue to do so they're ready to go."

In the last year, teenage twins Erin and Jessica Husband, among others, have impressed in the Hearts first team having come through the academy.

"We've got young talent representing our national team, all the way through our youth national squad up to our senior national squad," Hunter added.

"We just need to keep up as academies and make sure that clubs also prioritise their own academy because it's easy to spend a lot of money on getting the best players you can do for there and then, but if you think about how much you can save in the future, that's the key part for me, that we're all behind that message."

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Scottish Cup holders Rangers host fellow SWPL side Spartans in this year's quarter-finals.

SWPL 2 sides St Johnstone and Boroughmuir Thistle host Aberdeen and Motherwell respectively while Hearts and Glasgow City will battle at Oriam for a spot in the semi-finals.

The ties will take place on Sunday 9 March with further details to be confirmed in due course.

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Aberdeen have signed Irish defender Alix Mendez following her departure from Cork City.

Returning to the Irish side in 2023, the defender missed just three matches for Cork last season.

Mendez goes straight into Scott Booth's squad and is available for selection for Wednesday's game against Partick Thistle.

"I am really happy to be at Aberdeen," she told club media.

"I think this is the place for me to develop and continue my career. I can't wait to get going and I am really looking forward to Wednesday night."