Free-scoring Kirsty McGuinness named NI Football Awards Women’s Personality of the Year

The striker was the top scorer in the Women’s Premiership during the 2019 season, finding the net an amazing 32 times in 21 games in all, making her the popular choice for the award ahead of her former Linfield Ladies team mate Ashley Hutton and international colleague Demi Vance.

Kirsty captained the Blues to their fourth successive Premiership title in 2019 and led from the front, finishing the season with a five-goal haul in the league-clinching victory over Derry City, as they won 10-0 on a night when they needed a victory by seven clear goals to come out on top ahead of Sion Swifts Ladies.

“It’s always great to win awards. That’s what football is all about, it’s about winning things,” she said.

“It’s great and I’m delighted with it.”

During the 2019 campaign Kirsty also became the first female player to win the Northern Ireland Football Writers’ Association’s Women’s Player of the Month on two occasions, an accolade that was inaugurated at the start of that season.

In the summer she surprised the league by leaving the Blues to join Sion Swifts, along with sister Caitlin and both are also back in the Northern Ireland international squad that will face Belarus in a crucial Women’s Euro 2021 qualifier on Tuesday.

“The girls are buzzing and we can’t wait to go,” said Kirsty, who will be looking for an early birthday present as she turns 26 on Wednesday week.

“We are preparing well so hopefully come match day it will be good.

“It’s a massive game and we know that we can’t come back with anything less than three points.

“That’s what we are preparing for, that’s what we are going there to get and hopefully that’s what we will come back with.”

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