Leanne Kiernan Joins Newcastle in Ambitious WSL2 Move

Leanne Kiernan has drawn a firm line under her Liverpool chapter and stepped into a new one with Newcastle, signing for the Women's Super League 2 club for an undisclosed fee.

At 27, this is not a prospect’s punt. It is a statement signing.

The Republic of Ireland striker leaves Anfield with 23 goals in 76 appearances in all competitions, having arrived from West Ham in the summer of 2021. Her time on Merseyside peaked in 2021-22, when she drove Liverpool’s promotion charge from the second tier, finishing as the club’s top scorer with 13 league goals as they went up as champions.

That season underlined what she can be when fully trusted: direct, relentless, decisive in the box.

The past year has been more fractured. Kiernan spent the second half of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest in WSL2, searching for rhythm and minutes. Now comes something different again – not just another loan, but a clean break and a long-term bet on herself in a club trying to climb.

"I'm really excited. I’m looking forward to a fresh start and meeting the fans," she said after the move was confirmed. "It was a dream of mine to come and play professionally and to go to a club like Newcastle, it really felt right when the contact came in."

Newcastle are pushing hard to accelerate their rise through the women’s pyramid, and this is the kind of signing that underlines that intent. Kiernan brings 38 Ireland caps, big-game experience and a profile built in the top flight and at the sharp end of promotion battles.

She knows exactly what she is being bought for.

"I would say I’m a quick attacker in behind, so I feel like I can bring my strengths and hopefully score loads of goal to help the team out," she said, summing up the direct running and penetration that made her so dangerous in Liverpool red.

For Newcastle head coach Tanya Oxtoby, the appeal is obvious.

"Leanne brings a wealth of experience from the WSL, WSL2, and her national team to our squad and has shown in all those experiences the quality that she has," Oxtoby said. "She adds versatility to the forward line, with her pace and intelligent movement making her a threat in the way we want to play. We are looking forward to what she will bring to our squad."

The fit looks natural. A quick, vertical side adding a forward who thrives on space, runs beyond the back line and has already proven she can carry a promotion chase on her shoulders.

Kiernan has spoken openly about wanting to become a mainstay at a club in England. Newcastle now hand her that platform. The question is no longer whether she can score at this level.

It is how far her goals can drag Newcastle up the ladder.