Hibs Women make third summer signing with capture of Celtic forward

Scotland U19 forward spent last season on loan at Partick Thistle

Hibs Women have made their third signing of the summer with the capture of Abbie Ferguson from Celtic. The 18-year-old’s arrival follows that of Mya Christie, who joined from Aberdeen earlier this month, and American goalkeeper Katie Fraine who put pen to paper on a 12-month deal this week

Ferguson, who has signed a two-year deal keeping her at the club until the summer of 2025, told the Hibs website: “I am excited to be here and can’t wait to get started. I’m looking to enjoy the upcoming season and hopefully score some goals for the club.”

The Scotland Under-19 cap – who scored five goals on her international debut against Liechtenstein – spent most of last season on loan at Partick Thistle and will be well known to Hibs assistant coach Stewart Hall. Ferguson finished the 2022/23 campaign with 13 goal contributions including five goals for the Jags as she helped them finish in the top six of SWPL1.

Abbie Ferguson is Hibs Women's third signing of the summer

Hibs will hope Ferguson can step into the void left by the departures of attacking trio Katie Lockwood, Nor Mustafa, and Crystal Thomas, who scored 20 goals between them last season and left the club earlier this week.

With 18-year-old Christie on board along with fellow teenagers and academy graduates Eilidh Adams and Rosie Livingston, Hibs do have youth in their squad but the addition of 35-year-old Fraine, who has spent close to a decade playing for top-flight teams in Scandinavia, along with club stalwarts such as Joelle Murray and Siobhan Hunter, should ensure a blend of experience and homegrown young talent.

Hibs Women head coach Grant Scott said: “We are delighted to bring Abbie to the club. She is a young player, but has had experience within the league over the past season. I look forward to working with her and helping her develop both on and off the pitch.”

Hibs Women General Manager Chris Gaunt added: “This is a brilliant signing from the coaching team. With Abbie and Mya joining other Scotland under-19s Rosie and Eilidh, hopefully fans can see we are building a group of ambitious Scottish players to help usher in a new era of success for Hibs.”