By Callum Patterson
Leanne Crichton has called time on her Glasgow City playing career after a fantastic eight years over three spells at the club to join Motherwell Women as part of new Head Coach Paul Brownlee’s backroom team.
Crichton initially joined Glasgow City in 2007 before having spells at Celtic and Hibernian. In her second time with City between 2012-14, she played a key part in the first three of four domestic trebles in a row. She was also part of the squad that went down in history as a side to reach the Quarter-Finals of the Champions League for the first time after thrilling ties against Medyk Konin and FC Zurich in the Last 32 and Last 16 respectively.
Before that UWCL Quarter-Final, Crichton made the decision at the time to move to Notts County to test herself in the WSL in early 2015. Two-and-half years later she returned ‘home’ in May 2017 and made an immediate impact with a spectacular strike v Rangers that month which earned the Glasgow City goal of the season award. With plenty of experience, enhanced from her football in England, she became a core member and at times a crucial figure for scoring some huge goals for Glasgow City. An example of this domestically was when she scored against Hibernian in the penultimate game of the 2018 season to edge out our title rivals 2-1. This helped gain the 12th SWPL 1 title in the row for the club, which was secured the following week. She also remains part of a group of a handful of players to have reached the Champions League Quarter-Finals twice for Glasgow City after an epic Last 32 tie versus Brondby in October 2019.
In a tough campaign of stop/starts due to the covid break, in which City also had to rebuild the majority of their squad, Crichton remained key and played a huge part in the club’s 14th successive title.
The 33 year-old called time on her international career earlier this year after amassing 72 Scotland caps and scoring 3 goals. She was part of the historic Scotland squad to qualify for both the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which catapulted our national team to so many girls across the country.
On leaving City after three trophy laden spells with the club, Crichton said:
"There really isn’t ever a good time to step away from a club like Glasgow City. For the best part of a decade the club and everyone within have been all I’ve known.
Glasgow City have played a major role in shaping who I am, first and foremost as a player but more importantly as a person. They have and continue to, encourage me to develop in all aspects of my life. The success we have achieved together has been incredible, I have so many unbelievable memories that I know I will treasure forever.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude to Laura Montgomery & Carol-Anne Stewart and everyone associated with this exceptional club for the love and support throughout, I will be forever thankful."
Chief Executive Laura Montgomery added:
“Leanne is one of our true legends and her contributions can never be underestimated. She embarks on a new side of her career and one we would have liked to have been with us, but we fully understand her reasons for doing so at this stage of her development as a coach. We look forward to hopefully welcoming her back at some point in the not too distant future.
Leanne very much gets Glasgow City and what our club means, when we say we Champion Women and Girls. She has played a huge part in the development of our sport wearing both a Glasgow City and Scotland jersey. One I am sure she will never fully realise to what extent herself.
We wish her the very best for the future and I’m sure she will be a fantastic success at Motherwell.”