Abbi Grant targets further silverware and international recall at Glasgow City after re-joining the club for a third spell

Abbi Grant believes her experience of playing in the Women’s Super League and in Europe can help Glasgow City in their quest to win a 15th successive SWPL title.

The striker has re-joined the club on loan from Leicester City for the remainder of the season and has set her sights on bringing more success to City.

During her previous two spells, the 26-year-old scored 67 goals and won four league titles, two Scottish Cups and a League Cup.

Following her decision to leave City in January 2019 for Belgian side Anderlecht, where she scored eight times in 12 appearances, Grant returned to the UK with Birmingham City before a summer move to fellow WSL side Leicester.

She reckons her short stint abroad and subsequent two-and-a-half-years playing at highest level of women’s football in England will aid City’s cause during the SWPL title run-in.

Grant said: “It’s about three years ago since I left but everyone knows what this club means to me, so it’s an honour to be back and hopefully I can do good things again for the club.

“I’ve went away and experienced different things, so I think I’m coming back with a lot of experience under my belt and hopefully that rubs off on the girls.

“Playing in Belgium and in the WSL is obviously a bit different to playing here (in Scotland). There’s not a lot of possession-based football in the WSL if you’re in the teams that I’ve played at.

“To come back and contribute a higher level of fitness is something that I can bring to the team. I want to help out by winning more trophies at the end of the season.

“I love playing in games that are tight and maybe require a last-minute winner. It’s great to see how tight things are currently at the top of the SWPL table.

“It makes this move even more exciting for myself and makes the girls more determined to win over your rivals. “I knew that this was where I wanted to be, so it wasn’t a hard decision to come back.”

Grant will aim to strike up a partnership with fellow new recruit Kerry Beattie, who made the switch from Glentoran earlier in the January transfer window, as head coach Eileen Gleeson re-shapes her forward line.

Since bringing her second spell at City to an end, the Glasgow giants have made numerous changes both on and off the park, including a permanent move to Petershill Park, new state-of-the-art changing rooms and the appointment of Eileen Gleeson as head coach.

Grant, who will wear the number 15 shirt, has been amazed by the changes and outlined what she expects from working under Gleeson.

She stated: “The club have made huge changes since I was last here, it’s quite unreal, so I’m looking forward to getting started.

“There’s been so many amazing moments at Petershill and I hope there can be many more to come. Having full-time football and to actually call Petershill home and train here every day is a great feeling.

“It’s crazy to come back and see Leanne (Ross) not playing anymore but it will be great to catch up with everyone I’ve played with previously like Hayley (Lauder), Claire (Shine) and Joanne (Love).

“It’s going to be good to link up with them again and it will be nice to meet all the new players as well.

“I think Eileen will demand a lot of hard work and have plenty of detail in what she does. I’m really looking forward to working with her and improve on my game even more because I always want to get better as a player.

“I think being here is the best place for me to do that, given the level of the players and the attention to detail that is put in (by the coaching staff).”

Rangers currently hold a two-point lead at the top of the table, but with clashes against the league leaders and Celtic on the horizon, Grant is eager to hit the ground running.

The versatile attacker is in line to make her return against Hearts at Petershill on Sunday, a venue that hold many happy memories for Grant.

During Grant’s final game for the club at the end of her second spell, she scored against Spartans to secure City’s 12th consecutive top-flight title and has promised supporters to contribute more important moments during the rest of the campaign.

She admitted: “I know I’m coming in at a crucial part of the season.

“I’ve been in this position here before where we’ve had to go for it when things have been really tight, so hopefully I can use my experience in these big games when it matters.

“The winning goal against Spartans that won us the league title is something I remember as if it was yesterday and hopefully I can produce many more of those big moments.

“My favourite memory of playing here at Petershill has got to be the Champions League hat-trick (against Kazakhstan outfit BIIK Kazygurt).

“I still think about it quite a lot when I have down days. It’s always great to remember times like that.

“I know we didn’t go through but that night was probably one of the best moments in my career so far.”

Grant broke into the Scotland national team set-up during her previous spell, making her senior debut in a 2-0 win over New Zealand in March 2018.

Her first international goal arrived during the 2020 Pinatar Cup against Iceland but injury has prevented the striker from building on her seven caps to date.

Grant is determined to impress new Scotland Women’s national team coach Pedro Martinez Losa and earn a recall to the squad.

She added: “Obviously before my injury I was in the squad regularly so it was quite a hard moment to not be selected.

“I knew something had to change to improve my chances of getting back into the squad again and coming here is the best way for me to get back involved again.

“It’s still a huge aspiration of mine to play for Scotland on a regular basis.”

Pictures: Georgia Reynolds / Glasgow City FC / SNS Group