Welcome to Pittodrie! From left to right: Jenna Penman, Amy Strath and Beth McPherson.

 

The transfer window has opened in the women’s game and the AFC Women’s team were quickly out of the blocks, capturing three new signings as they begin to prepare for life in the Scottish Building Society SWPL 2 in 2020.

AFC Women’s Manager Emma Hunter spoke to RedTV recently: “Last season Harley and myself always planned ahead.

“We feel that during the past season, we developed the squad quite a lot, but we felt we needed a couple of players to strengthen the squad and offer more depth of options.

“We have kept almost all the squad from last season and the players we have are more than capable of competing in this league, so it is really exciting to get some new faces in who will make us even stronger.

“We have three new signings that will add a lot of experience and also quality on the pitch.

“It was important that we picked the right people, women that fit our philosophy and our style of play. There have been many discussions over many months before deciding which players to bring in, and we are absolutely delighted with our captures.

“All three are characters. You need that as well. They all have a great attitude towards the game and are ambitious. It was important that their values match with ours. I have no doubt all three will fit in really well with the team.”

AMY STRATH

“Amy Strath has a vast of experience of playing abroad and playing in the US. She did a scholarship in America before wanting to try some professional football in Iceland.

“She did that for a year but then decided she wanted to return home. Amy has trained with us in the past when she has been in Scotland, so she is someone we have been keeping an eye on.

“As soon as we heard Amy was coming home, we got her in on trial. We were really impressed. She will bring so much experience from all the different environments she has played in.

“She will bring a lot a real composure when we look to build and will also be a threat with her range of passing. We are looking to play her at centre-back as she is very strong in the air and good defensively.”

BETH McPHERSON

“I have known Beth McPherson for a long time. She is from Aberdeen and she has been involved with the Youth National Squads for quite a while.

“Beth played for Aberdeen Ladies in the past but then, quite rightly, she wanted to play top flight football when the Ladies side went down the leagues.

“She has been playing in the SWPL 1 with Forfar Farmington and has done very well at that level.

“It was all about timing for Beth. It says a lot that a player that has been playing in the top Division is willing to take a step down but that is because she can see the strength of the Aberdeen squad and can see what we can go on and achieve.

“It is a credit to our squad that someone like Beth wants to come and sign for us.”

“Beth brings in a lot of quality.

“She has been involved with the Scotland youth teams in the past and she will be a real positive for us in the midfield area. She will bring a lot of energy and she will really make things happen in that area of the pitch. She is another fantastic signing.’

JENNA PENMAN

“Jenna Penman can play both right-back and centre back, so having that adaptability will be a major bonus for the team.

“She has come from Dundee United who are in our division now and United did really well last season. I am sure they will be disappointed to lose Jenna, but that highlights just how fortunate we are to get her signature.

“Jenna is a real talent and like many of our women, is part of the Youth National set up at U17 level. She brings a real quality on the pitch and also has real leadership qualities as well.

“She is an athlete and someone who trains really hard. Jenna really wants to develop and improve her game and that is what is important. Like many of our players, she has a big future ahead of her in women’s football.”

THE NEW CAMPAIGN

“Looking ahead, I think the real positive is that we have progressed so much over the last year, it is now just about embedding these players in the squad and moving onto the next level next season.

“We are well into pre season now, which is going very well and have a couple of friendlies lined up so we can look to develop our style of play and look integrate some of the new players. We will need to do that because this league is going to be really tough.

“There has been a lot happening within the top tier of Scottish Women’s football. All the teams are getting stronger which then means other player filter down. It is will be a very challenging league and looking at the sides, you can’t separate a lot of teams from top to bottom if I’m honest. Every game will be very competitive.

“The bonus is that there is a play-off spot if you are not top of the league. Every team in the league at this stage can have realistic aspirations for achieving one of those two spots, so you can see just how competitive it is going to be.”

AIMS

“We have aims and objectives for next season, that’s important, but that is something we will discuss as a group this month, to make sure we are all on the same wavelength. We must compete, that is very important. We will be aiming for the top half of the league and then we will see if we can get into that play-off position, if not automatic promotion.

“It’s really important that we develop these young players. We still have a very young squad and it is more important that we develop as a team. If that means we get up a league then fantastic, but if it is not meant to be, we will work very hard so that when we do go up a level into the top division, we will be ready to compete, whenever that is.”