THE Scotland squad for next month’s Pinatar Cup will not include Jen Beattie. The central defender announced her international retirement on Friday, having made her debut against the USA in 2008 at the age of 16.
The young rookie who replaced Leanne Ross in the second half of a 2-1 Cyprus Cup defeat couldn’t have envisaged playing 144 times for her country and scoring 24 goals. She is the fourth-highest capped Scotland player of all time, behind her long-time captain Gemma Fay (203),
Jo Love (189) and Jane Ross (146).
Like all the players of that generation, who delivered the first-ever – and so far only – Euro and World Cup qualifications, Beattie says she owes much to Anna Signeul. The Swede showed faith in the teenager three months after she had moved from Queen’s Park to Celtic and was her international head coach for the next nine years.
“Anna could not have been more educational and supportive,” Beattie said. “It was arm around your shoulder – exactly what a kid would have needed at that young age.
“You’re away from family and mates, you’re amongst people who are older than you, and she was incredible. She taught me what a professional footballer should look like and how to train at a time when we weren’t professional yet.
“I learned the trade with Anna and Ann-Helen [Grahm, Signeul’s assistant] and I owe them so much. To experience that at such a young age was a huge thing for me.
“I also played at striker and left-back, but it was Anna who set in stone that she wanted me to be a centre-back. It’s always a catch-22 as a young player – you want to be versatile and play different roles, but to further your career you need to pin down a position.”
Unsurprisingly, Euro 2017 and the World Cup two years later provided both the highest peaks and lowest troughs of Beattie’s Scotland career. The 31-year-old played a huge part in the side’s qualification for a first-ever major championship, but an ankle injury when the squad were training at Falkirk Stadium prevented her from travelling with them to the Netherlands.
Beattie did, however, play in all three group matches at the World Cup in France. The third one, the now infamous 3-3 draw against Argentina at the Parc des Princes, saw her score a goal on the very ground where her father had notched a try for Scotland against France in 1987.
“You always go into a World Cup with hopes and dreams of getting as far as possible and the way that game unravelled there were just so many emotions,” Beattie confirmed.
“You go from the high of scoring at a World Cup to the VAR situation and being out of the tournament
“It’s one of those when you know we could have done better. and that’s a really hard feeling. But it’s also an ultimate high for me because I scored at a World Cup on exactly the same pitch my dad had scored a try on playing for Scotland. I didn’t even think that was possible.”
Although Beattie has announced her international retirement, an SFA spokesperson said she was unaware of any others stepping down ahead of the Pinatar Cup. The players will travel to Spain for the games against Iceland, Philippines and Wales still in dispute with the SFA. As previously reported, the players lodged an ET1 form with an employment tribunal in mid-December. The governing body had 28 days to respond, and have duly done so. The matter now rests in the hands of both sides’ solicitors.
THERE are some very significant games today at both ends of the SWPL table, but Rangers against Glasgow City at Broadwood is the main attraction. Even at this stage of the season it’s almost a must-win for the defending champions, who are seven points behind City with a game in hand against Aberdeen on Wednesday.
City appear to have made a statement signing in Linda Motlhalo. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder already has 62 caps for South Africa and has played at the highest club levels in the USA, China and Sweden.
“Linda has an amazing, modest personality and the talent and ability to be one of the best players in the world,” her former South Africa and Houston Dash head coach Vera Pauw told me.
