Cork native Saoirse Noonan completes move to Watford

Cork native Saoirse Noonan has been snapped up by newly-promoted Women’s Super League 2 club Watford following her exit from Celtic.

Noonan has won 14 caps for Ireland, opening her scoring haul against Georgia in 2021 before providing the winner against Slovenia in last year’s World Cup qualifier at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The 27-year-old recently left Scottish giants Celtic, where she scored 57 goals in 74 appearances, including five hat-tricks.

Her last match for the Celts was the Scottish Gas Women’s Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park in May, when she set up Morgan Cross for the winner against Rangers.

The signing comes in the same week Watford’s Pozzo family owners agreed to sell the club's women's team to investment platform Pitch15.

Promotion to England’s second ties means players aged 23 or above are entitled to a minimum annual salary of €31,500, necessitating a budget estimated to have quadrupled to €5m.

The Hornets are also believed to be interested in recruiting Shelbourne’s midfield dynamo Aoibheann Clancy, an international teammate of Noonan’s.

Other members of the Ireland women’s squad on the move this week are striker Emily Murphy, who joins Women’s Super League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion from Newcastle United.

The Magpies are keen to replace her with Liverpool’s Cavan-born striker Leanne Kiernan.

Limerick native Claire O’Riordan has swapped Belgium for Switzerland, leaving Standard Liege for FC Zurich.

Sheffield United have snapped up ex-Birmingham City schemer Lucy Quinn, joining their new recruit from Shamrock Rovers, Maria Reynolds, while fellow second-tier outfit Burnley have established an Irish legion after swooping for Tyler Toland, Jamie Finn and Jess Hennessy.

Further movement for the Irish, ahead of their World Cup playoff series beginning in October against Kazakhstan at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, is guaranteed over the coming days.