Free scoring Glentoran striker Kerry Beattie has been selected as the Danske Bank Northern Ireland Football Writers’ Association Women’s Player of the Month for June.
The in-form Kerry shot her way to the award with a stunning tally of eight goals in just four Danske Bank Women’s Premiership games during the month.
Kerry scored in all of Glentoran’s games during June, when we went through the month with a 100 per cent record.
That included an impressive four-goal haul in the Glens’ 4-1 win over Sion Swifts Ladies and the 18-year-old was the stand-out choice of the Northern Ireland Football Writers.
Kerry with NIFWA Chairman Stuart McKinley
“It’s the first award I’ve received so it’s a big deal to me,” said Kerry.
“I’ve been playing for the senior team for the last couple of seasons, but this is the first season that I have been starting regularly and I have been getting lots of minutes.
“Scoring goals is helping and I am just really enjoying my football at the minute, which is the most important thing and I think that is why I am playing so well.”
June was also a special month personally for Kerry as she made her senior international debut for Northern Ireland in the 1-0 friendly defeat to Scotland as Kenny Shiels prepares his team for the start of the World Cup qualifiers in September and the Women’s Euro 2022 finals next summer.
Earning a place in the squad for those finals is a major carrot for the Lisburn girl and her goal-scoring displays are putting her at the forefront for selection.
Also on her mind is helping the Glens retain the Danske Bank Women’s Premiership title, as well as the Irish Cup and County Antrim Cup, which the club still hold from 2019.
“It’s great to be scoring goals,” she said.
“I am trying to push on and I am constantly thinking about the future and with the Women’s Euro 2022 finals next summer I want to be competing for a place in the squad.
“There is a lot of competition and it is important that I am scoring goals, most importantly for the club really because we need to be scoring goals to win games and keep all the trophies that we have.”
