Ireland striker Leanne Kiernan leaves Liverpool to join Newcastle

ON THE MOVE: Republic of Ireland striker Leanne Kiernan has left Liverpool to join Women’s Super League 2 club Newcastle for an undisclosed fee. Pic: Jess Hornby/Getty Images.

Republic of Ireland striker Leanne Kiernan has left Liverpool to join Women’s Super League 2 club Newcastle for an undisclosed fee.

The 27-year-old scored 23 goals in 76 appearances for the Reds in all competitions after arriving from West Ham in the summer of 2021.

She played a key role when Liverpool were promoted from the second tier as champions in 2022, finishing as the club’s top scorer with 13 league goals.

Kiernan spent the second half of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest in WSL2.

“I’m really excited," she said.

"I’m looking forward to a fresh start and meeting the fans. 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.

“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.”

Newcastle manager Tanya Oxtoby added: “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.

“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.”