Jen Beattie Announces Retirement From Professional Football.

Jen Beattie, known for being one of Arsenal’s best defenders, and part of the Scottish National Team, announced her retirement from professional football on Tuesday 21st January, after beginning her senior career in 2006, and playing for clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester City and Celtic. 

Jen began her youth career after playing football with her brother Johnnie and finding her love for the sport. She played with boys teams and was the only girl in her team when she was selected for the team at her primary school in Glasgow. She then moved on to play with Hamilton Academical, again as part of the boys team, however this never stopped her from playing and doing what she loved. 

Her senior career began at the age of 15, where she played in the Scottish Women's Premier League, playing for Queen’s Park FC Ladies. In November 2007, her team lost 4-0 to a Hibernian Ladies team, where she first crossed paths with Arsenal legend, Kim Little, who she developed a friendship with over the years. Jen then moved on to play with Celtic Ladies in 2008, where she spent a year and a half, before moving to Arsenal. 

Jen’s career at Arsenal was one which she will always remember, along with the fans and her teammates. Despite moving to Montpellier in 2013, and returning to play for Manchester City in 2015, where she became the fifth player to reach 100 appearances for the club, she returned to Arsenal in 2019, where she along with the team won the Women's Super League that year. She also contributed towards Arsenal’s 2023 Continental Cup win. 

In October 2020, Jen was diagnosed with breast cancer, and despite the heartbreak this caused for everyone she knew, she managed to score a goal just three days later in Arsenal’s fixture against Brighton, which they won 5-0. She continued to appear in both Arsenal and Scotland games throughout her radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and won the Helen Rollason award in 2021, on behalf of BBC Sports Personality of the Year, which was presented to her by fellow Arsenal teammate and friend, Leah Williamson, who said it was “emotional” doing the honours of presenting the award to her friend. 

Jen moved to Bay FC in February 2024, where she was part of the NWSL in the USA. She made 8 appearances for the club. 

From 2008 to 2022, Jen was a part of the Scottish Women's National Team. She had previously represented Scotland in the under 17 team, and made her debut in the under 19 team at the age of 14. She played alongside Kim Little, and the two were named as “talented youngsters” by football writer Graham Spiers in 2008. Despite being called up for the 2017 Women’s Euros, she sustained an injury which ruled her out of the tournament, but she was named in the 2019 Women's World Cup squad, to which she scored one of the goals in the fixture against Argentina, which resulted in a 3-3 draw. She announced her retirement from international football in 2023, after making 143 appearances and scoring 24 goals during her time with the team. 

Jen has had an incredible career, and we wish her a very happy retirement, with all the best for her future endeavours.