Celtic Women announce 4 big contract extensions as they prepare for next season

By David Walton

June 1, 2022

Celtic Women have today made a big statement ahead of next season as 4 players committed themselves to the club for another year.

Jacynta, Caitlin Hayes, Chloe Craig, and Kelly Clark have all signed new deals after an incredible double-winning campaign that ended an 11-year wait for trophy success.

The news comes hot on the heels of Sunday’s Women’s Scottish Cup final win against Glasgow City at Tynecastle. That success came after also beating City in the SWPL Cup in December.

It’s been an incredible campaign for Fran Alonso’s side, with attentions now surely turning to mounting a title push next season in the SWPL.

News of the new contracts today certainly bode well for the building of the squad for next season too. Clark and Craig have been absolute stalwarts of the club in recent years, with the latter closing in on her 250th appearance.

Jacynta, meanwhile, won the PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year award this season whilst Caitlin Hayes has become a fan-favourite since arriving back in 2020. Getting new contracts signed and sealed for all 4 is a big statement of intent ahead of the new campaign.

Celtic Women moving in the right direction – but progress must continue next season

Securing the double is such a monumental achievement for everyone involved in the Celtic Women team. It’s not just big in terms of ending the 11-year drought, but it also lifts a huge psychological barrier for this exciting side.

They’ve proven in recent years that they have the beating of Glasgow City and Rangers in one-off games. It’s all about now proving that they can sustain it during their league campaign. Finishing as many as 17 points off top spot won’t have been satisfying to Alonso and the squad.

At the very least, they’ll be looking to secure a Champions League spot once again after getting a taste of Europe this season. There’s still a lot more to come from this side. Their cup wins very much feel like just another step.

It will also be interesting to see what investment comes from the club this summer as Alonso will be looking to bolster his squad further. If Celtic are to catch Rangers and City over the course of a league campaign, they’re going to need some fresh backing.

That has to be the ultimate step for this Celtic side. Progress can’t be halted at such a crucial period in this squad’s development.

Today’s contract announcement is a great first step. Now it’s time to see what lies ahead in terms of recruitment.

In other news, When the transfer window officially opens as Celtic speculation cranks up