The fourth edition in its history, we are excited to announce our annual list of the top 30 players in the Scottish Women’s Premier League for 2024.
Celtic’s Caitlin Hayes was the winner of last year’s award, and she doubled up by playing a pivotal role in the Ghirls maiden title win May. Her win meant Glasgow City’s Hayley Lauder - winner in 2021 and 2022 - saw her winning streak come to an end. But can Hayes go on a streak of her own by winning the award in back-to-back years?
With Scottish women’s football now boasting more professional players and teams than ever before, we began to ask a panel of current SWPL players, coaches, players, ex-players and SWPL experts for their list of the top 10 best players in the league over the last year.
Each judge was given the following rules for voting:
- Only one person per SWPL club can vote.
- Your votes can not include a player from your own club, to ensure choices are not guided by club or professional loyalties.
- The players you choose must be currently playing in the SWPL.
- Your vote must remain anonymous.
- Choose your top 10 players in the SWPL.
From here, we used the metric that each player is awarded points for their ranking (ie: position one = 10 points, position two = 9 points, position three = 8 points etc.) we then add together the points from each vote to give us the definitive of the year’s best players in the SWPL.
Here is our annual list of the top 30 players in the Scottish Women's top tier for the year 2024 from 30-1.
5. 26: Jodi McLeary - Rangers 🆕 (Last year: N/A)
Rangers' seemingly endless production line of young Scottish talent continues with 19-year-old McLeary now a key member of the first-team squad. A Scotland youth international, she will hope to follow in the footsteps of former teammate Emma Watson and broke into the senior setup soon. | SNS Group
6. 25. Cara Henderson - Partick Thistle ⬇️ (Last year: 13th)
A third consecutive inclusion in the top 30 list, Henderson is a real creative force for top six regulars Partick Thistle. Versatile and intelligent, Henderson has grown immeasurably since moving to the club from Glasgow Women. | SNS Group
7. 24: Nicola Docherty - Rangers ⬇️ (Last year: 21st)
A legend of the SWPL, Docherty collects trophies as a hobby. Scotland's first choice left-back, she has won nine Scottish titles, six Scottish Cups and six Scottish League Cups during his glittering career - and few would bet against her adding more this season. | SNS Group
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8. 23: Katie Lockwood - Glasgow City 🆕 (Last year: N/A)
Named in the SWPL's team of the year after an outstanding season at Hearts, Lockwood moved to Glasgow City in the summer and continues to be one of the league's most creative attacking talents. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group