Watford Sign Prolific Striker Saoirse Noonan on Free Transfer

Watford have moved decisively in the summer market, securing the signing of former Celtic forward Saoirse Noonan on a free transfer.

The Golden Girls confirmed the deal on their official channels earlier today, adding a proven goalscorer to a squad that is being quietly, but clearly, upgraded.

Noonan arrives in Hertfordshire after a devastatingly effective spell in Glasgow. Across two seasons with Celtic, the 27-year-old scored 57 goals in 74 appearances, finishing as the club’s top scorer in back-to-back campaigns. Five hat-tricks in two seasons underline the scale of her impact, not just her consistency but her ability to tear games open on her own.

Her time with Celtic 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, testing herself against some of the strongest defences on the continent.

This latest move is another step in a career built on steady progression. Noonan first made her name with Cork City in the SSE Airtricity League Women’s Premier Division before moving to Shelbourne, where she enjoyed two separate spells and sharpened the penalty-box instincts that now define her game. She also knows English football well from a two-year stint with Durham in the Barclays WSL2, a period that should ease her transition back into the domestic scene.

On the international stage, Noonan has already broken through for the Republic of Ireland, earning 14 caps and scoring twice. That experience adds another layer of maturity to a player entering what should be her prime years.

Noonan becomes Watford’s fourth signing of the summer window, a statement addition that fits a clear pattern. Quality is being added, line by line. Now the question is simple: how far can this rebuilt Watford side go with a finisher of Noonan’s calibre leading the line?