Glentoran Women’s head coach Kim Turner 'beyond proud' as pair seal move to Scottish side Hearts

Beattie and Andrews progressed through the Glens academy to become established senior stars, playing a key role as the East Belfast outfit collected three of the last four Premiership titles.

Striker Beattie, who has previously played in Scotland for Glasgow City, scored 36 goals during the 2023 season and once again sits top of the league’s goalscoring charts this term having netted 11 times while 22-year-old Andrews contributed 20 goals last term from her deeper role.

Their arrivals at Tynecastle on two-year contracts comes 24 hours after striker Wade also signed a two-year deal following her departure from Reading Women and Turner is proud to see the pair rewarded for fine form in the Irish League.

“Joely and Kerry are great players and this is an opportunity they both deserve,” she told the club’s website. “Having come through our academy (Joely aged 9 & Kerry aged 14) it’s a great achievement for both players and club.

"They have been loyal and believed in the club values and processes to make it to the very top, which should really inspire the younger generation in our academy.

“I personally will be sad to see them both go, but myself and the club fully support the move and I am beyond proud to have played a small part in their footballing journey.

“We wish both players all the best on their new opportunity, and like any Glentoran player who has gone across the water, they will always be welcome back to wear the green, red and black.”

On Beattie’s signing, Hearts manager Eva Olid said: “Kerry is a proven goalscorer and came across very professional during the negotiations. We knew immediately that we wanted her to be a part of our journey.

“She is young, but already has so much experience at both club level and on the international stage. She is a striker I like so much because she’s so hard working and has a great amount of quality in the final third.

“I’ve spoken about needing strikers who can be adaptable, and Kerry is someone who possesses various attributes. I’m looking forward to working with her when she arrives after international duty, and I know with her quality and determination she will do well.”

Olid is also confident that Andrews possesses the required qualities to make an impact in Hearts’ team, telling the club’s website: “It’s no secret we scored a lot of goals from midfield last season, which is something we had to address.

"In Joely, we have a player with real energy and the ability to break the lines from midfield. These attributes are very important to us, which meant Joely ticked a lot of boxes for us.

“The football we want to play requires players to be technically good and while Joely’s ability with the ball is fantastic, what I was really impressed with was her movement off the ball and her desire to work out of possession.

“Again, she’s a young player, but already has so much experience domestically and internationally. I look forward to working with her.”

Hearts, who reached the Scottish Cup final last season before losing out to Rangers at Hampden Park, start their league campaign against Queen’s Park on August 11.