Chloe Arthur Returns to Celtic Ahead of SWPL Season

Celtic have brought one of their own back home, with Scotland international Chloe Arthur rejoining the club on a short-term deal ahead of the 2026/27 SWPL campaign.

For Arthur, this is not just another move. It is a return to the club where it all began. A graduate of the Celtic FC Women’s Academy, she broke into the first team as a 16-year-old, having been spotted at local side Erskine YFC and fast-tracked through the ranks. Now, more than a decade on, she walks back into the same training ground as a seasoned midfielder with a full international career behind her.

Her rise after leaving Celtic was swift and relentless. At 20, she earned her first senior Scotland cap against Northern Ireland in February 2015, a landmark moment that underlined her growing influence. A spell with Hibernian followed, where she helped the Edinburgh side reach the 2015 Scottish Cup final and proved she could shape big games on the domestic stage.

Then came the move that would define the bulk of her career. In 2016, Arthur headed south to Bristol City in the English second tier. She scored on her debut, set the tone for her time there, and played her part in winning promotion with the Robins. It was the start of a decade in England that hardened her game and expanded her reputation.

Birmingham City and Aston Villa were the next stops, each adding more experience at the sharp end of elite competition. In the summer of 2022, she signed for Crystal Palace, where her impact was immediate and sustained. Over her first two seasons with the Eagles, Arthur made more than 40 appearances, anchoring midfield and driving a side with serious ambition.

The rewards came quickly. She helped Palace win WSL2 for the first time in May 2023, featuring 17 times in the league that season and finding the net once. The momentum did not fade. She remained central to the project in 2024/25, again a key figure as Palace secured a second promotion in three years, this time stepping up to WSL1.

On the international stage, Arthur’s CV carries the kind of pedigree any squad craves. She has represented Scotland at two major tournaments: the 2017 UEFA Women’s European Championship and the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Those experiences, the pressure, the scrutiny, the standards, all now feed back into a Celtic side looking to push on in the SWPL.

So when she describes this move as “a full circle moment,” it rings true. She grew up in the academy, left for “just over 10 years,” and returns to find familiar faces among players and staff, the same surroundings that shaped her teenage years. For Arthur, it is more than nostalgia. “It’s kind of like it’s home,” she says. That sense of belonging can be powerful in a dressing room chasing trophies.

Manager Grant Scott knows exactly what he is getting. He calls Arthur “a quality midfielder with experience playing at the highest level for both club and country” and makes it clear Celtic are “delighted she’s decided to return… to play her part next season.” The emphasis is on impact, not sentiment. She is not just a returning academy graduate; she is a leader being dropped into a squad with serious ambitions.

Scott also points to the standards she brings back with her. Having come through the Celtic ranks, the staff already understand the professionalism and leadership she will add. With the new season looming, Celtic are not hiding their excitement. As Scott puts it, they “can’t wait to add her to the group ahead of the new season.”

The club’s message is simple and loaded with intent: welcome home, Chloe. Now, what can home achieve with one of its most accomplished graduates back in the middle of the pitch?