Leanne Kiernan Targets WSL2 Promotion with Newcastle United After Fresh Start Following Liverpool Departure
Republic of Ireland international Leanne Kiernan has spoken candidly about her ambitions at Newcastle United after completing a move from Liverpool in July 2026, targeting promotion to the Women's Super League with the Magpies and describing Ireland's national team as 'a big factor' in her decision to move to the northeast of England — where the proximity to Ireland and the strength of the club's ambitions aligned with her own goals at 27.
Background
Leanne Kiernan is one of the most experienced and accomplished players in the Republic of Ireland women's national team, having earned 38 caps for her country since making her international debut as a teenager. The forward from County Sligo has been a consistent performer for Ireland across multiple international cycles, contributing goals and assists in qualifying campaigns and friendlies that have helped to establish the national team as a competitive force in European women's football.
Her club career has taken her from Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland Women's National League to West Ham United, and then to Liverpool, where she spent five years and made 76 appearances across all competitions, scoring 23 goals. Her most significant contribution at Liverpool came in the 2021-22 season, when she was the team's top scorer with 13 league goals as the club won the Women's Championship title and secured promotion to the Women's Super League. She was subsequently loaned to Nottingham Forest for the second half of the 2025-26 season before completing her move to Newcastle.
Newcastle United Women have been one of the most ambitious clubs in the Women's Championship — the second tier of English women's football — since the club's takeover by a Saudi-led consortium in 2021. The new ownership has invested significantly in the women's team, with the aim of achieving promotion to the WSL and establishing Newcastle as a major force in English women's football. The signing of Kiernan, who brings WSL experience and international pedigree, is part of this ambition.
Key Developments
Kiernan completed her move to Newcastle United on 28 July 2026, signing a three-year contract with the club. She has spoken about the move as a "fresh start" after her time at Liverpool, and has expressed enthusiasm for the challenge of helping Newcastle achieve promotion to the WSL. Manager Tanya Oxtoby has welcomed the signing, noting that Kiernan's experience and versatility will add significant quality to the club's forward line.
In an interview published this week, Kiernan revealed that Ireland's national team was "a big factor" in her decision to move to Newcastle. The club's location in the northeast of England — with good transport links to Dublin via Newcastle Airport — makes it easier for her to travel for international duty and to maintain her connection to home. This consideration, she said, was important to her as she enters what she hopes will be the most productive years of her career.
Kiernan has also spoken about her ambitions for the Republic of Ireland team, which is preparing for a new qualifying campaign under its management team. With 38 caps already to her name, she is one of the most experienced players in the squad, and her form at club level will be a key factor in Ireland's preparations for the next major tournament cycle.
Why It Matters
Kiernan's move to Newcastle matters for Irish women's football for several reasons. Her continued presence in the English football pyramid — at a club with genuine ambitions for the top flight — ensures that she will be playing at a high level of competition and maintaining the form that makes her such a valuable asset for the national team. The WSL is one of the strongest women's leagues in the world, and players who compete at that level bring a quality and intensity to international football that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.
The move also reflects the growing ambition of Irish women footballers to compete at the highest levels of the game. A generation ago, the options available to Irish women who wanted to play professionally were extremely limited. Today, players like Kiernan, Katie McCabe, Denise O'Sullivan, and Rhasidat Adeleke are competing at the top of their respective sports, and their success is inspiring a new generation of young Irish women to pursue careers in sport.
For context, the Republic of Ireland women's national team qualified for their first FIFA World Cup in 2023, a historic achievement that reflected the improvement in the quality of Irish women's football over the previous decade. The team's continued development depends on players like Kiernan maintaining their form and fitness at the highest level of club competition.
Local Impact
In County Sligo, where Kiernan grew up and where her family still lives, her move to Newcastle has been followed with great interest. The county has a strong tradition of producing talented footballers — both male and female — and Kiernan's success at international level has been a source of enormous pride for the local community. Sligo Rovers, the club where she began her career, has been quick to celebrate her achievements and to use her story as an inspiration for the young players coming through their academy.
The FAI has noted Kiernan's move as evidence of the quality being produced by the Irish women's football development system, and has highlighted her career as a model for young Irish women who aspire to play professionally. The association's investment in women's football at grassroots level — including the expansion of the Women's National League and the development of regional academies — is intended to create more pathways for players like Kiernan to reach the top of the game.
What's Next
Kiernan will be hoping to make an immediate impact at Newcastle United as the Women's Championship season gets underway. The club's first competitive fixtures are expected in September, and Kiernan is expected to be in contention for a starting place from the outset. The Republic of Ireland squad for the next international window is expected to be announced in the coming weeks, and Kiernan's form at Newcastle will be a key factor in her selection. Newcastle's promotion push will be one of the most closely watched stories in English women's football this season.
