Cork soccer star Clare Shine announces her retirement

CORK'S Clare Shine has announced she will retire after Sunday’s SWPL match for Glasgow City against Heart of Midlothian.

Over her two spells, the Douglas native has made 105 appearances and scored 70 goals, the joint 11th highest goalscorer in Glasgow City history.

Shine was an FAI Cup final match-winner for Cork City Women's team in 2017 and played in an All-Ireland camogie final for Cork in 2012 when she was still in Leaving Cert. 

Shine was an underage star in soccer, ladies football and camogie, first coming to attention in the Community Games for Douglas. 

On her decision, Shine said: "Thank you to everyone who has played a part in my football journey, thank you for all the amazing memories. I am looking forward to opening a new chapter of my life, and for Glasgow City, I will always be your number one supporter."

As well as being a key player for many years, the Republic of Ireland international has spoken openly about her own mental health problems and in the past 18 months has been a key figure within our charity – Glasgow City Foundation. 

The 27-year-old will continue her work with our Foundation as Project Co-ordinator and help with our charitable plans and ambitions. Earlier this year Shine opened a brand-new football pitch at Hillhead Primary School in Kirkintilloch on behalf of the club and as part of our Commsworld Connecting Champions to Schools programme, Shine leads the Foundation’s role model work in the community, helping to inspire the next generation of girls to be whatever they want to be.

Signing in May 2015 for her first spell, Shine scored 17 goals in that campaign ending the season as the top goalscorer at the club. The striker marked the end of her debut season with a hat-trick in the 2015 Scottish Women’s Cup Final as City beat Hibernian at Ainslie Park before making her Republic of Ireland debut in a UEFA Women’s European Championships qualifier against Spain.

The following season, Shine repeated her goalscoring exploits and was top scorer for a second season in a row as City secured a Scottish record, tenth league title in a row.

Shine departed the club prior to the 2017 season but returned in 2019 and scored on her second debut against Stirling University. That was the start of 19 goals Shine would score in 2019 including a first UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) goal against Chertanovo Moscow.

Arguably her biggest goal during her time was at the end of the 2019 season when once again, Shine wrote the headlines in a Scottish Women’s Cup Final against Hibernian with a 90th-minute winner to bring the cup back to Glasgow for the first time since Shine’s hat-trick in the 2015 final.

The Covid-interrupted 2020-21 season saw Shine make 12 appearances to help City win the 14th title in a row before featuring 28 times in 2021-22.

She scored 10 goals during the 2021-22 campaign including a brilliant volley against Servette at the Stade de Geneve in the UWCL, earning her the club goal of the season.

Shine has played five times this season and scored a hat-trick on the opening day against Spartans.