‘Excited’ is the word that keeps cropping up when you ask returning striker Kerry Beattie what the overarching emotion is ahead of the 2025/26 season, her first full campaign in red after a successful loan spell convinced both player and club to make the then temporary relationship a permanent one.

Beattie’s 10-time capped Northern Ireland pedigree and last season’s impact showed both parties the potential if they joined forces for good. Feeling “at home” in the North-East, she signed a two-year deal without hesitation.

“I love Aberdeen,” said Beattie at the now-annual SWPL Launch Event at ScottishPower HQ.

“I was saying to the girls the other day, it’s the closest thing I’ve ever felt to home, which for me is what I need. I’m a home bird. I love being with my family.

“I love being at home, and I never thought I would get anything that would compare to that. But Aberdeen is on par with how I felt at home.

“It’s been amazing. I knew I had to come back. Once the deal was done, I was desperate to get started.”

Out of the ‘fusion’ house of 2024/25, the shared accommodation with an eclectic mix of accents and backgrounds, Beattie has swapped house life for the quieter flat, with a host of new faces now in both.

“I’ve moved out of fusions, which is heart-breaking. But the quiet and the peace of the flat has really helped me. I miss the girls, but I see them every day anyway.

“The new girls are settling in really well. Especially in the past few weeks, we’ve had a lot of new players come in, but they’ve settled well as part of the group. The good thing about this group is everyone’s super welcoming.

There is a feeling that it has been a summer of advancement for the side as manager Scott Booth begins to grapple with the task at hand of closing the gap between the Dons and the established top five.

The twice weekly day sessions are an obvious indicator that things are heading in the right direction for Beattie.

“We’ve definitely taken a step up. There is a different feeling to the team, a good one. It feels more professional. Everyone’s comfortable in that environment, but there’s also higher expectations now, higher standards.

“If you weren’t doing something last season you might have gotten away with it, but now people are starting to call you out and that’s what we need.

“I love coming in during the day. When you’re training at night, you might have a whole day to kill, which can be tough as a footballer. The daytime schedule keeps us switched on and sharper.”

With higher standards come higher expectations. In the new 10-team league, the Dons will be aiming for a positive campaign. Last season’s brutal, three teams relegated survival battle is behind them.

“I am just so excited. I think it’s going to be the most competitive season yet for the SWPL. I think we’re going to be super competitive and hard to beat.

“It’s important to set your ambitions high but also be realistic. For me, the minimum is top six and making life miserable for teams trying to take points off us.”

Home advantage is something Beattie wants to turn into a weapon.

“I know last season with Hearts, the Balmoral, I hated it. I hated the travel, then having to get off the bus and play in the wind. Now I absolutely love it. I know that when teams are coming to Balmoral, they probably aren’t looking forward to it.

“That’s a good thing for us. Likewise, we’re going to have to travel plenty, but the difference is, we’re used to it. We want Balmoral to feel like a fortress.”

The difficult days on the road start immediately with an opening-day trip to champions Hibernian at Meadowbank.

“I cannot wait for Sunday. What a game to kick-off with.

“It’s a class opportunity to see where we’re at. I think we’re going to be a lot closer to the top teams, so it’s exciting.

“There are no big expectations on us. They are the ones defending their title.”

With another season in professional football ahead, are the nerves still there?

“To be honest, on Saturday night it’s going to be more excitement than nerves.

“The night before a game, I’m envisioning us winning. That’s the only way you can go into a match.

“I’ll be imagining us causing an upset. We’re the underdogs, and that’s exactly how we like it.”