Hearts women make semi-pro step with budget to recruit pay players

Having secured an initially small group of first-team players on semi-pro contracts until 2023, the club has announced that more changes will begin to take effect over the coming months.

That includes a budget to recruit and improve the squad for next season.

With most of SWPL1 already semi-professional, Hearts are having to move quickly to keep up and sporting director Joe Savage has revealed that the long-term vision is to establish a fully professional women’s team.

Rangers and Celtic already have full-time professional squads, with Glasgow City and Hibs players on semi-pro contracts. Thea Easter Road club handed out its first semi-pro contract two years ago and Edinburgh neighbours Spartans also made the move to semi-pro status at the start of this season.

Since taking charge at the start of this season, Hearts head coach Eva Olid has already implemented a rigorous and more structured training regime alongside the dedicated sports science department and nutritionist at Oriam.

With elite women’s football in Scotland set to come under the control of the SPFL from next season, the club is now ready to continue that process by paying players and reflect the upcoming merger with the professional game.

The change in status has been backed by the club’s board of directors, with sporting director Joe Savage overseeing the upgrade in its initial stages.

He told the club website: “We absolutely needed further professionalisation for the women’s team. They’ve been working on a voluntary basis for a long time, so if we wanted to take the next step as a club and attract a better calibre of footballer – we need to start paying players.”

Savage will continue his work alongside Olid to establish the new semi-pro infrastructure and