Leanne Kiernan Joins Newcastle United from Liverpool in WSL2 Move

Leanne Kiernan has drawn a firm line under her Liverpool chapter and stepped into a new one at Newcastle United, joining the Women’s Super League 2 club for an undisclosed fee.

At 27, the Republic of Ireland striker arrives in the North East with a proven record and something still to chase. She leaves Liverpool with 23 goals in 76 appearances in all competitions, a tally built on relentless running, sharp movement, and a knack for big moments rather than sheer volume alone.

Her defining spell in red came in 2021-22. Liverpool were clawing their way back to the top flight; Kiernan became their cutting edge. She finished that promotion season as the club’s top scorer in the league, hitting 13 goals and driving Matt Beard’s side to the Championship title. When Liverpool needed a finisher, she repeatedly stepped into the frame.

The past year has been more fragmented. Kiernan spent the second half of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest in WSL2, a move that hinted at a crossroads in her Liverpool career. Now the break is complete, and the destination is a club trying to accelerate its own rise through the women’s pyramid.

For Kiernan, it is both a reset and a statement. She already has 38 caps for Ireland, but the sense is clear: she wants to be more than a squad option in England. She wants to be central.

"I'm really excited. I’m looking forward to a fresh start and meeting the fans," she said, outlining exactly why Newcastle felt like the right step. "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.

"I would say I’m a quick attacker in behind, so I feel like I can bring my strengths and hopefully score loads of goal to help the team out."

That directness is precisely what Tanya Oxtoby is banking on. The Newcastle boss has been steadily shaping a side with serious intent, and Kiernan’s arrival fits that pattern: a player with top-flight and international pedigree, still hungry, still with something to prove.

"Leanne brings a wealth of experience from the WSL, WSL2, and her national team to our squad and has shown in all those experiences the quality that she has," Oxtoby said. "She adds versatility to the forward line, with her pace and intelligent movement making her a threat in the way we want to play. We are looking forward to what she will bring to our squad."

For Newcastle, this is more than just another signing. It is a marker. A forward who has already helped one club out of the second tier now drops into WSL2 again, this time to push a different project up the ladder.

For Kiernan, the equation is just as stark. New club. New expectations. Same target: goals that change a season.