Scottish Women's Football

Image source, Rangers FC

Rangers have signed Bailley Collins on a one-year contract after the 22-year-old left Scottish Women's Premier League rivals Motherwell.

Collins spent three years with Well, where she worked under Rangers head coach Leanne Crichton, after joining from Aberdeen.

Describing her latest move as "surreal", she told Rangers' website: "I think working with Leanne in the past, it was kind of a no-brainer."

Crichton added: "She's a young player who has already shown real quality in the SPWPL and we believe this is the right environment for her to continue her development.

"She has good physical attributes and works tirelessly for the team; just as importantly, she has the mentality and ambition that we're looking to add to this squad.

"Having worked with her previously during my time as assistant at Motherwell, I know the qualities that she can bring and I'm confident that she will continue to develop further moving into full-time football here."

Image source, Alan Rennie/Hibernian FC

Hibernian have added "invaluable" experience to their squad by signing Northern Ireland midfielder Joely Andrews on a two-year deal from rivals Hearts.

The 24-year-old, who has earned 35 international caps, made 52 appearances for Hearts, playing a key role in their historic 2025-26 SWPL triumph.

"She is a player who brings a wealth of experience at both international level and in the SWPL, and those qualities will be invaluable to our group," said Hibs head coach Joelle Murray.

"Joely is an exciting player who has the physical attribute to play box to box and someone who can make a real impact in the final third.

"She has excellent tactical intelligence, understands the game extremely well, and gives us another strong option with her ability to create and score chances."

Former Glentoran player Andrews added: "Playing against Hibs in the last two seasons, it's always been a really competitive game and I think it's a style I can fit into."

Image source, SNS

Poland midfielder midfielder Natalia Wrobel and Dutch defender Kimberley Smit have left Glasgow City.

Both players spent two years at the club, winning the SWPL Cup earlier this year.

"As my journey with Glasgow City comes to an end, I leave with unforgettable memories and deep gratitude - not only for the moments on the pitch, but also for the incredible people I've met along the way," said 26-year-old Wrobel.

Smit, 26, made 75 City appearances and scored five goals.

"Thank you, Glasgow City," said Smit. "After two incredible years, it's time for me to say goodbye. I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone at the club who made my time here so special - my team-mates, coaches, staff and everyone behind the scenes.

"I'll always be proud to have been part of such a special club."

Image source, Rangers

Danish midfielder Gry Boe Thrysoe has signed a two-year contract to become Rangers' first signing this summer.

The 26-year-old joins as a free agent and had a successful trial earlier in the year before completing her studies in the United States.

Thrysoe started her career in her homeland with Aalborg Boldklub, helping them earn promotion to Denmark's top flight in 2020, and has spent the past five years playing for American college club Old Dominion Lady Monarchs.

"She is a player who brings a really strong technical level, intelligence in possession and added quality in the middle of the pitch," said head coach Leanne Crichton.

"Having enjoyed a successful trial period with the club earlier in the year, it was clear she has the character and ambition that we want within this squad, and we believe she has all the attributes to make a positive impact here.

"Gry has gained valuable experience both in Denmark and during her time in the United States, where she continued to develop her game and we hope she can continue to do so here."

Image source, SNS

Rosie Livingstone has left Hibs to join Women's Super League 2 side Ipswich Town on a two-year contract.

The Scotland Under-23 winger, who moves for an undisclosed fee, scored 22 goals in 101 appearances and was named player of the year last season.

Livingstone joins Ciara Grant, Eilidh Adams, Kathleen McGovern, Lauren Doran-Barr, Noa Schumacher, Stacey Papadopoulos, Poppy Lawson and Hannah Jordan on the Hibs departure list.

Image source, SNS

Celtic have confirmed left-back Emma Lawton and striker Saoirse Noonan are among the players leaving the club following the expiration of their contracts.

Goalkeeper Chloe Logan, Jenny Smith, who has joined Hearts, and Emma Westin have also departed while Tara O'Hanlon, Poppy Pritchard and Maddi Wilde return to their parent clubs following the conclusion of their loan deals.

The club have also announced their new home ground for the upcoming campaign - Kirkintilloch Community Sports Complex.

The Glasgow club had been playing their home games at New Douglas Park last term but will make the switch for the start of the new season.

Image source, SNS

Hearts will start their defence of the SWPL title at home to Aberdeen on Sunday 16 August.

Last season's runners-up Rangers will begin the campaign with a trip to Links Park to face Montrose.

Sky Sports Cup holders Glasgow City meet Scottish Cup winners Celtic at Petershill Park, having finished third and fifth respectively.

2025 champions Hibernian, who were fourth last term, host Motherwell, while newly-promoted Spartans will be at home to Partick Thistle.

The first Edinburgh derby will take place on 4 October, with the reverse fixture on 15 November. The capital bragging rights were split last season, with both sides winning two of the four fixtures.

Rangers and Celtic will meet on 27 September and 15 November. Leanne Crichton's side had the upper hand last time, as Rangers won all four league matches.

Hearts will be coached by Andy Thomson, who has moved from his assistant's role at Rangers to replace Eva Olid, who clinched the club's first title in her final match in charge.

Visit our fixtures page for details of the 2026-27 schedule.

Image source, SNS

Celtic captain Kelly Clark has committed to a 14th year at Celtic after signing a contract for next season, while fellow stalwart Chloe Craig and goalkeeper Lisa Rodgers have also agreed new terms.

Centre-half Clark has made 378 appearances for the club, with Craig featuring in 320 games and Rodgers playing 33 times.

Craig, who has committed to a two-year deal, is a regular penalty taker and has scored more than 100 goals for last season's Scottish Cup winners. Rodgers, 20, has signed up for next season.

Head coach Grant Scott is delighted to retain the 32-year-old defenders, telling club media: "The impact both these players have made on women's football at this club is incredible.

"In terms of role models, you need look no further than what they've achieved, both on and off the pitch.

"They remain two important pieces of our squad and what we're trying to build and achieve here."

And Scott said of Rodgers: "Lisa is a young goalkeeper, who already has proven her worth at the club and at international level with Scotland underage.

"She's played her part in a number of high profile games and successes during her time here, which will only aid that development."

Image source, SNS

Tao Stark is leaving Glasgow City after a mutual agreement to terminate her contract early.

The Finnish midfielder, 21, joined in January on a deal until summer 2028 but made just four appearances for the club.

Stark, who leaves with an SWPL Cup winner's medal, said: "I've really enjoyed my time at City, it's a great club with fantastic team-mates and I've learned a lot during my time here."

Image source, SNS

Scotland midfielder Maria McAneny has signed a two-year contract extension with Celtic, keeping her at the club until summer 2028.

The 21-year-old academy graduate has made over 100 appearances and scored 13 goals and recorded five assists last term for the Scottish Cup winners.

McAneny earned a place in the Guinness World Records with her halfway-line strike against Hibernian last December, which was officially recognised as the fastest goal ever in women's professional football at 4.1 seconds.

"This is where I want to be as I love being here and I love being part of this club and it's something that I want to keep doing," said McAneny.

"I want to continue to keep winning trophies for this team and take it to the next level."

Head coach Grant Scott says McAneny is an "integral" player, adding: "As a player who's come through the academy system, she completely understands what the club is about and showcases the talent we are able to produce here."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta is expecting a "tight game" when her side face Czech Republic in the first round of their World Cup play-off.

The Scots will face the Czechs over two legs and, should they progress, will face the winner of Sweden and Lithuania's play-off.

"I'm expecting a very tight game, especially when everything is on the line," Andreatta said.

"Everybody wants to be on the world stage at major tournaments so I wouldn't expect anything other than a very tight game, very competitive.

"It's going to go down to fine margins and we'll be prepared to take advantage of those fine margins so that we're on the better side."

Scotland edged their Nations League group on goal difference ahead of Belgium and were seeded for the draw as a result.

And Andreatta thinks the way the group stage played out will help her side in the play-offs.

"The way that it ended up playing out in the group stage for us was great preparation for what we're about to face," she added.

"If I know anything about this group, they're willing to do whatever it takes to be the team that goes through. All we'll focus on is ourselves to make sure that we put a performance together that earns the right to progress.

"Our attacking game is there to be seen. To score the most goals across the leagues and have the highest goalscorer in the team is something we're pleased about but the exciting thing is the potential of this team to continuing improving our attacking game.

"There's still lots of things to improve, lots of positives too, we're in a good position for just over a year of my tenure to be prepared for this play-off."

There's still a long way to go if Scotland want to qualify for next summer's World Cup in Brazil.

And seeing the supporters heading to the United States in their droves to support the men's team at this summer's tournament adds extra incentive.

"When I spoke to the players and the staff after the game when the boys qualified I knew how much it meant to them then," she added.

"I've just come from Edinburgh airport to see a lot of folk coming and going to the World Cup. The excitement is real, the passion is undeniable and of course we want to be a part of that.

"But we are also realistic and know there's a lot of hard work to be done before we do that. We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves and just focus on what's next and that's game one against this formidable opponent.

"I've said it from the beginning, I see it as a team of possibility. With the trajectory that we're on I think anything is possible. On our day, rankings aside, anything is possible."

Image source, Getty Images

Hearts will face FC Gintra and Rangers will play Slavia Prague in the Women's Champions League second qualifying round.

Both Hearts and Rangers have been drawn alongside three other teams and will contest in mini-tournaments comprising two semi-finals and a final.

Both semi-final matches will be played at a single venue on Wednesday 5 August, with the winners of each tie playing each other in a final on Saturday 8 August for a place in the third qualifying round. There will also be a third place play-off game on the same day.

Should Rangers win, they will face the winner of Ajax v Brondby in the final.

"We know it'll be tough, but the reality is it's where we wanted to be, it's brilliant" Rangers head coach Leanne Crichton told BBC Scotland.

"Regardless of who we were drawn against, for different reasons, it was going to be tough but on the face of it, it's a draw that we're looking forward to.

"We'll hope to go and prove ourselves and show that we deserve to be back on the European stage."

In Hearts' mini tournament, Danish side HB Koge will play the winner of group three from the first qualifying round - that could be one of Armenian outfit Pyunik, Welsh side Wrexham, Northern Irish team Glentoran or Latvian side Riga - in their semi-final. Should Hearts see off Gintra, they'd play the winner of that tie.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa have signed Scotland forward Mia McAulay from Rangers.

The 19-year-old progressed through the academy at Rangers and broke into the first team squad in the Scottish Women's Premier League.

She made her senior debut for Rangers at 16 and went on to make over 100 appearances for her childhood team.

The winger made her Scotland debut in May 2025 and has since gone on to make five appearances.

Earlier on Wednesday, Villa's top-scorer last season, Kirsty Hanson, joined Women's Super League rivals Tottenham.

Image source, SNS

Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta: "I'm mixed [emotions].

"I'm a bit all over the place to be honest.

"Proud, if I put some words on it right now, proud, really pleased with the campaign and the performances.

"In the second half we were aware of what was happening in that other game, we had processes in place to have that information handy, but I think what's bigger than pressure is expectation, and these players have high expectations of themselves, and no one can be harder on themselves than this group.

"I think to manage all that and perform the way that they have across the six games.

"Yeah, I'm just proud of them, and it puts us on the front foot and in good standing for the first playoff.

"I don't think she'll [Caroline Weir] like me talking too much about her.

"She's quite humble, you know what, she'd want me to talk about her teammates, and she is so well supported by the other leaders in the group."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, Reuters

Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta has been addressing the media as her side prepare for Tuesday's final World Cup group meeting with Israel in Hungary.

Here are the key points:

• Erin Cuthbert's knee injury in Friday's 6-0 win over Israel was not as bad as first feared, but the Chelsea midfielder is "heading home and will be in the care of her club", but when asked if the player would make October's play-offs, the Australian would simply be taking it "day by day".

• Andreatta revealed: "We have a replacement ready to go and you'll have to stay tuned for that one."

• "Squad depth is really important and that's been building really nicely over the 13 or so, 14 months that I've been in post and we'll be counting on that again tomorrow night," the head coach said.

• Andreatta is looking for "more of the same in terms of the performance".

• She was pleased with the number of chances created but stressed: "We want to turn those chances into higher-quality chances and hopefully that leads to a higher conversion rate too."

• With Scotland top of the group, four goals better off that Belgium, who visit Luxembourg at the same time, but Andreatta insisted: "We're going to stay in our bubble and focus on what we can control. That's when that whistle goes. We're on the front foot and building on the performance you saw on Friday night."

• There is no automatic qualification for the group winners, but it does come with a better seeding in the play-offs, but Andreatta said: "It's by-the-by really, path one, path two and the different seedings, we've looked into that and, ultimately, it's all about the next game and that's tomorrow night and when we get that job done, then we'll look ahead."

• As for Israel, Andreatta said: "All I know about this team is they're super competitive and, when they cross that white line and the whistle goes, it's anyone's game."

• Of her own team, she added: "I just see a group of people that are getting more connected and cohesive as a unit and we'll just keep doing what we've been doing to strengthen that further."

Image source, Reuters

Midfielder Erin Cuthbert will miss Scotland's World Cup qualifier with Israel on Tuesday and has returned to Chelsea for "a short period of rehabilitation" after injuring her knee, the Scottish FA have confirmed.

Cuthbert, 27, went off in the closing stages of Friday's 6-0 win over the Israelis in Budapest - having earlier scored - and was taken to hospital.

She has now returned to London "for further assessment".