BOSS Scott Booth has challenged his new recruits to show they’re good enough to secure more silverware for Glasgow City this season.
Fiona Brown, Erin Cuthbert and Haley Rosen are among those who have left the club since helping to claim an historic tenth SWPL title in a row.
Booth has strengthened ahead of the new campaign and he wants the likes of Jamaican international Lauren Silver, Savannah Jordan and Noelle Murray to step up and fill the void left by star players.
He said: “We’ve brought players in and they’ve done really well so far.
“They’ve shown they have the potential to be as good as – if not better – than what we had before.
“The proof is in the pudding. They’ve got to go out on a weekly basis and show why they were signed and why they are playing for Glasgow City.
“The expectations are always so high at this club and they understand that – it takes a certain type of player to play for Glasgow City.
“Whether it’s a cup game or a league game, it doesn’t matter. Everyone raises their eyebrows if we lose a game.”
(Photo: John Linton/PA Wire)
Glasgow City already have a couple of pre-season friendlies and an emphatic League Cup win over Jeanfield Swifts under their belt.
And they begin the defence of their league title against Stirling University tomorrow.
Booth added: “Eleven in a row would be nice – it’s got a nice ring to it. But we know it’s going to be tough.
“It was tough last season and it’ll be the same again this season – maybe even tougher.
“It’s been said that this will probably be Glasgow City’s most difficult league campaign in a decade.
“That’s something that can be both a good thing and a bad thing. From my perspective, it’s a good thing because we need the competition.
“The players want the competition and I think the women’s game in general needs that level of competition. We are looking forward to the challenge, as we do every season.”
There’s another incentive for City’s home-grown players to impress this term – securing a place in Scotland head coach Anna Signeul’s plans ahead of the European Championships.
Booth was part of the Scotland squad the last time the men’s team qualified for the Euros in 1996 and he’s hoping to see plenty of his players involved in Holland this summer.
He said: “I’m excited for them because it’s a big season. Even for the under 19s because if they do particularly well – you never know – there may be an option for one or two to sneak into the main squad as well.
“There’s a lot to play for and I’m lucky that the majority who are involved with the national team A squad are pretty experienced.
“They’ve been around the game for so long that they can marry the international programme with the club programme.
“I don’t worry about that at all – it’s more just excitement for them knowing the finals are on the horizon.”