Spartans sign duo from Celtic and Rangers

The duo joined from Celtic and Rangers respectively after signing for the Edinburgh side on Saturday. Both will help provide extra depth for Spartans with the latter making her debut off the bench on Sunday as they lost 2-0 to Partick Thistle in the Sky Sports Cup.

Johnstone comes in as an experienced goalkeeper for her age with the 19-year-old participating in Celtic’s Champions League campaign and has also lifted the Sky Sports Cup. The youngster will now compete with Alicia Yates for a starting spot in between the sticks after Rachel Harrison decided to step away from football for a short period of time.

“I’m really excited to be joining the team,” Johnstone told Spartans. “The girls have been great since I’ve come in and I know quite a few of them from Scotland camps which has helped a lot.”

Laird came through the ranks at Rangers before making her first appearance for the club in an 8-0 win against Queen’s Park in preseason. The 17-year-old performances have seen her capped eight times at Scotland Under 17 level with the promising young defender also boasting good experience for her age.

“I’m really looking forward to getting started,” Laird told Spartans. “I think I’ll learn a lot from the players here and hopefully develop both as a player and a person. Everyone has been really welcoming and I’ve settled in well.”