After acquiring the services of Glentoran duo Kerry Beattie and Joely Andrews ahead of the upcoming campaign, Hearts have made a move for two more Northern Ireland internationals.
Following Northern Ireland’s final two Euro 2025 qualifiers against Malta and Bosnia-Herzegovina the following week, the pair will join Eva Olid’s squad at Tynecastle and partner with Lauren Wade.
Glentoran will now have to adjust to losing two of their best players, which is a double blow given that they began the season having won all six of their games.
However, it’s an opportunity for Beattie and Andrews to enter the professional game and make an impression with an ambitious Hearts squad in the Scottish Premiership.
Beattie, a ten-time cap Northern Ireland international, is playing in Scotland for the second time. She previously played for Glasgow City. Beattie finished last season atop the Sports Direct Premiership scoring charts with 29 goals, and she is also leading the charts this season.
However, Andrews, the 20-time capped midfielder who led the Glens to the championship the previous season, will be making his first trip outside of Northern Ireland as the past Premiership Player of the Year.
In addition, manager Olid expressed her excitement about the newest members of her team, Beattie and Andrews, praising them for their contributions to the Edinburgh team, along with fellow international teammate Wade, whose signing was revealed on Friday.
Kerry is a goal scorer with track record, and she exuded professionalism during the talks. The Spaniard remarked, “We understood right away that we wanted her to be a part of our voyage.
Despite her youth, she has a tonne of experience competing internationally and at the club level. She is a striker that I really appreciate since she puts in a lot of effort and has excellent finishing touch.
“I’ve mentioned the necessity for strikers who can be versatile, and Kerry is one of those players. After her overseas assignment, I’m excited to work with her, and I know she will succeed because of her qualities and tenacity.
“It’s no secret we scored a lot of goals from midfield last season, which is something we had to address,” Olid continued in reference to Andrews. We have a player with genuine energy in Joely who can breach the lines from midfield. We value these qualities greatly, so Joely met a lot of our requirements.
Joely’s technical skill level is excellent, but what truly struck me was her movement off the ball and her willingness to work outside of possession. This is the kind of football we want to play.
“She may be a young player, but she has a tonne of experience both home and abroad. I’m excited to collaborate with her.
