Watford Sign Former Celtic Striker Saoirse Noonan on Free Transfer

Watford have moved decisively in the market, snapping up former Celtic forward Saoirse Noonan on a free transfer as they continue to reshape their squad for the new season.

The 27-year-old arrives in Hertfordshire after a devastating spell in front of goal in Glasgow. Across two seasons with Celtic, Noonan scored 57 goals in 74 appearances, finishing as the club’s top scorer in back-to-back campaigns and racking up five hat-tricks in the last two years alone. Defenders in the women’s game know her name. Many have the scars to prove it.

Her time with The Ghirls brought silverware and European experience. Noonan lifted the Scottish Gas Women’s Scottish Cup last season and featured in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, adding big-stage minutes to an already varied career.

This is not a forward plucked from obscurity. Noonan’s journey began with Cork City in the SSE Airtricity League Women’s Premier Division before she moved to Shelbourne, where she enjoyed two separate spells and built her reputation as a ruthless finisher. She also knows English football well from a two-year stint with Durham in the Barclays WSL2, experience that should ease her transition back into the domestic game.

On the international stage, Noonan has already broken through the door. She has 14 caps for the Republic of Ireland and two goals to her name, a platform that Watford will hope she can build on with regular club minutes and a central role in attack.

For Watford, this is not an isolated move but part of a clear, targeted rebuild. Noonan becomes the club’s fourth signing of the summer window, another statement that the Golden Girls intend to add genuine quality rather than simply make up the numbers.