Hearts confirm departure of six first-team players as squad rebuilding continues

Hearts Women have confirmed the departure of six first-team players as Eva Olid continues to rebuild her squad ahead of next season.

Tegan Browning, Claire Delworth, Beth McKay, Ailey Tebbett, Lia Tweedie and Clare Williamson have all moved on from the Gorgie Girls after helping the team to finish ninth in the SWPL 1 table and reach the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.

Delworth, a die-hard Jambo, and Williamson were both surviving members of the team who clinched promotion from the SWPL 2 back in 2019.

Tweedie, another childhood Hearts fan, spent two years with the club after moving from Hibs in 2020.

Right-back Claire Delworth is one of the six players to leave Hearts. Picture: SNS

McKay joined from Spartans in 2021, while Browning arrived from Boroughmuir Thistle. The latter leaves to continue her football career in the United States.

US keeper Ailey Tebbett is the last to be released after suffering through a campaign blighted by injury problems.

Maria McAneny and Rebecca McAllister previously left the club last month after the conclusion of their loan deals from Celtic.

Olid is looking to attract more experience to her first-team after going with a squad largely made up of teenagers in the Spaniard’s first season in charge.

Hearts have thus far recruited two players from SWPL 1 champions Rangers with Emma Browning becoming the club’s first ever full-time signing, closely followed by the acquisition of Ciara Grant.

Next season’s SWPL 1 will be the first campaign where the league is administered by the SPFL. The division will expand to 12 teams and split into two groups of six halfway through.

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