Liverpool FC Women In Talks With Defender Gilly Flaherty

After the Liverpool FC Women’s team said farewell to five players at the start of the offseason, manager Matt Beard said the plan was to bring in a replacement for each of the outgoing squad members. It seems that the Reds are coming close to coming to an agreement for a center back to replace Meikayla Moore, and it should come as little surprise that it is yet again that Matt Beard is very familiar with.

BBC reporter Emma Sanders has said that Liverpool are in advanced talks with Gilly Flaherty, who spent the last four seasons at West Ham United. Flaherty was named the club captain in their inaugural season in the WSL when she first joined the club by none other than Matt Beard. Flaherty remained the club captain through her entire career with West Ham, and became the first player in club history to reach the century mark of matches played in the WSL.

While not a flashy signing, Flaherty would certainly bring a massive amount of experience and leadership with some of the top clubs in the top flight of Women’s football in the UK. She began her senior career with Arsenal at the age of just 15, and eventually became a regular starter for a Gunners side that was then at the pinnacle of the Women’s game. Arsenal won every trophy possible while Flaherty was with the club, including winning the quadruple in her very first season with the senior team. She moved on a transfer deal to Chelsea in January of 2014, helping the club supplant Arsenal as the best team, winning three WSL titles, including their first ever, as well as winning the FA Cup twice before then heading to West Ham.

If this move does come to pass, it would add another strong presence in the locker room along with another very good player in the center of defense. The Reds currently boast a strong defense, only conceding 11 goals in 22 games in the FA Women’s Championship this past season, but it will be a big step up to the WSL. Adding a veteran presence like Flaherty to the likes of Niamh Fahey, Jasmine Matthews, Leighanne Robe, and Megan Campbell will make the central defense unite quite possibly the strongest on the team. It will also allow Beard to likely rotate out 34 year old Niamh Fahey while still keeping veteran leadership on the field.