Noelle Murray signs off with player gong

Noelle Murray has lifted the Continental Tyres Women’s National League Player of the year Award for 2016, the Shelbourne Ladies star’s last act in Irish club football.

The 27-year-old has inked a full-time deal with Glasgow City, delaying her move to Scotland to collect her award yesterday.

“I went over and I thought it was brilliant the way they do things over there, it’s a bit different to how do they do things over here,” said Murray. “I definitely can see the FAI and the clubs here going pro, the time and effort some people put into women’s football is unbelievable.”

Cavan native Leanne Kiernan, 17, collected the young Player of the Year award, meaning it was a clean sweep for Shelbourne Ladies having won the league and cup double in 2016 with the teenager hitting hat-trick in the cup final.

Kiernan finished second in the golden boot award for the Women’s National League season with 13 goals, three behind Peamount United’s Amber Barrett.

The 2017 Continental Tyres Women’s National League will begin on St Patrick’s weekend where the seven clubs will play each other three times in the new summer season.

The mid-season break will facilitate the Leaving Certificate exams.

Meanwhile, the FAI are expected to announce the new Women’s senior international team manager later today.

FAI WNL Team of the year:

Amanda McQuillan (Shelbourne Ladies), Jetta Berrill (UCD Waves), Pearl Slattery (Shelbourne Ladies), Chloe Moloney (Galway WFC), Niamh Prior (UCD Waves), Karen Duggan (UCD Waves), Roma McLaughlin (Peamount United), Noelle Murray (Shelbourne Ladies), Leanne Kiernan (Shelbourne Ladies), Amber Barrett (Peamount United), Siobhan Killeen (Shelbourne Ladies)

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