Celtic FC Women have announced their first signing of the summer as midfielder Shannon McGregor makes the move from Hibs. The 24-year-old has joined the Hoops on a three-year deal after having played her football in Edinburgh for seven years.
Shannon McGregor during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Hibernian Women and Newcastle United Women at Meadowbank Stadium, on 30 July 2023. Photo Colin Poultney PSI
In total, she has made 125 appearances for the Hibees, winning the league cup twice and also the Scottish Cup during her time at the club. Last campaign in the SWPL (23/24), she made 27 appearances, scoring five goals and playing a big part in Hibs’ fight to be best of the rest.
Preparation for the new season is now underway as Elena Sadiku looks to strengthen her squad. The manager has already made it clear that she wants to build a team that can dominate domestically and put on a show on the European stage, so to have gotten a player in early into June is promising.
Speaking on the new signing, Elena said: “I’m really excited to have Shannon on board for the next couple of years.
“She’s the right player when it comes to her quality as a player and with the right mindset to contribute and help the team to achieve more success.”
McGregor spoke to Celtic TV for her first exclusive interview with the Celts. She said: “This is a dream come true for me. I’m a huge Celtic fan so I’m over the moon.
“I’m really looking forward to getting going. It’s going to be a huge change for me but it’s something that I’m really looking forward to doing and the club set up and stuff seem to be amazing. I’ve been talking to all of the guys here and it just sounds amazing.
“I’ve always looked at Celtic as a team where I really like the style of play. I can see myself fitting into that style of play of attacking and that positive play going forward.
“I’m very hard working and determined. I’ll give 100% every game.
“I know some of the girls really well. I was really close with Amy Gallacher when she was at Hibs. I know Colette Cavanagh, I know Lisa Robertson and stuff so it’s great to have those girls to allow me to settle in a little bit more because it’ll be really new for me.
“I’m really looking forward to [the Champions League]. I think that’s something that, at this point in my career, I wanted to succeed towards. Coming to Celtic was a huge part of that. Really enjoyed playing Champions League with Hibs and now I’m looking forward to doing that with Celtic.
“I had a great chat with Elena. We’ve had a few long chats and they’ve both been great. She likes the mentality of players and I think I’ve got that mentality going forward.
“We had a discussion about my injuries. I think the understanding of a manager that has had knee issues, especially in a woman, I think she understands that it’s not just the physical side of things, it’s the mental side of that as well and coming back into playing football is not as easy as what people think. So, I think she’ll have that understanding as a player, a person and a manager which is good.
Amy Gallacher, Colette Cavanagh and Elena Sadiku
“We’ve seen the amount of goals that Celtic have scored which essentially won them the league. It’s unbelievable to see the table like that. I think you can kind of see that in their style of play. The amount of goals that they’ve got, it’s non-stop going forward and I think that’s something I want to be involved in.
“I just can’t wait to get going in pre-season. Really looking forward to it. I’m one of those players that actually quite enjoys pre-season! A lot of people don’t like that but I’m grateful for fitness and stuff like that so I’m looking forward to it.”
Jessica Elliott
