Newcastle United have completed the signing of Republic of Ireland forward Leanne Kiernan from Liverpool on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
From a record-breaking hat-trick to a fresh start on Tyneside, here’s what you need to know about the Magpies’ latest arrival.
1) She Started at Shelbourne Before a Spell at West Ham
Leanne Kiernan began her career at Dublin-based Shelbourne, where she was considered one of Irish football’s brightest young prospects, having scored a hat-trick in the 2016 FAI Cup final.
She chose to sign for West Ham in July 2018 aged just 19 – despite interest from some of Europe’s top teams – and went on to make 40 appearances for the Hammers before her move to Liverpool in 2021.
2) Leanne Kiernan Scored the Club’s Fastest-Ever Hat-Trick at Liverpool
Leanne Kiernan joined Liverpool from West Ham in the summer of 2021 and enjoyed a blistering debut season, scoring 14 goals to help Matt Beard’s side win the FA Women’s Championship.
That tally included the club’s fastest-ever hat-trick, scored away at Blackburn Rovers.
3) She Bounced Back From Injury in Style
Leanne Kiernan’s second season at Liverpool was disrupted by injury, but she rediscovered her scoring touch by the end of 2023-24, netting a hat-trick on the final day of the season to help the club secure a top-four finish in the WSL.
4) She Leaves Liverpool as a Club Legend
Across five years at Liverpool, Leanne Kiernan scored 23 goals in 76 appearances, leaving the club as their second-highest goalscorer of the WSL era.
She featured in 29 matches across her final two seasons, with the most recent of those including a loan spell at Nottingham Forest for the second half of the campaign.
5) She’s Excited For a Fresh Start at Newcastle
Speaking on her move, Leanne Kiernan said: “I’m really excited. I’m looking forward to a fresh start and meeting the fans. It was a dream of mine to come and play professionally, and to go to a club like Newcastle, it really felt right when the contact came in.”
She also described herself as “a quick attacker,” adding that she hopes to bring her strengths to the team and score plenty of goals.
