NORTHERN Ireland internationals Kerry Beattie and Joely Andrews have signed for Scottish Premiership side Hearts.
Beattie, who is top goalscorer so far in the Northern Ireland Premiership campaign, has netted 77 times in 74 appearances for the Glens.
Meanwhile midfielder Andrews played a pivotal role in Glentoran’s success in 2020 and has been a stalwart for the team ever since, scoring 33 times.
They join fellow Northern Ireland international Lauren Wade who has already joined Hearts from Reading this week.
Speaking to the Official Hearts Website, manager Eva Olid said of Joely’s signing: “It’s no secret we scored a lot of goals from midfield last season, which is something we had to address. In Joely, we have a player with real energy and the ability to break the lines from midfield. These attributes are very important to us, which meant Joely ticked a lot of boxes for us.
“The football we want to play requires players to be technically good and while Joely’s ability with the ball is fantastic, what I was really impressed with was her movement off the ball and her desire to work out of possession.
“Again, she’s a young player, but already has so much experience domestically and internationally. I look forward to working with her.”
Women’s head of recruitment Sean Burt added:
“Joely is a player who really excites me. The more we watched her, the more we felt she’s exactly what we needed in those advanced areas of the pitch.
“Her creative spark, alongside her tenacity out of possession, I think makes her so unique compared to your modern-day number ten
“We believe Joely is now moving into her prime footballing years and that’s something we’ve targeted during this recruitment window. Joely is already experienced domestically and internationally and I’ve no doubt she’ll adjust to her new environment seamlessly.”
Kerry in new kit
Speaking to the Official Hearts Website, manager Eva Olid said:
On Kerry’s signing, Eva Olid, commented: “Kerry is a proven goalscorer and came across very professional during the negotiations. We knew immediately that we wanted her to be a part of our journey.
“She is young, but already has so much experience at both club level and on the international stage. She is a striker I like so much because she’s so hard working and has a great amount of quality in the final third.
“I’ve spoken about needing strikers who can be adaptable, and Kerry is someone who possesses various attributes. I’m looking forward to working with her when she arrives after international duty, and I know with her quality and determination she will do well.”
Sean Burt added: “I think at times over the course of the last couple of seasons, whenever we have found ourselves a player or two light in the final third, it has had a huge impact on the team.
“Kerry’s arrival brings more depth to our attack, and you can see from her goalscoring stats that she’s going to add some serious firepower to our attack.
“She’s a player who has been on our radar for some time now and we just hadn’t quite been able to make things work previously, so we’re delighted we’ve been able to strike a deal and bring Kerry to the club.”
