Shine’s Robertson headed to UEFA Champions League

Spokane Shine midfielder Lisa Robertson was announced as a new signing for Glasgow City of the Scottish women’s premier league Sunday, marking the end of a lengthy career with Hibernian for the former Scottish youth international, who spent the 2012 summer with the American WPSL club.

“I am so happy to be signing for such a successful club and can’t wait to be part of it,” said Robertson. “Leaving Hibs was hard after being there for seven seasons and being a Hibee and I am grateful for everything they have done for me and developing me this far. However, I feel City is the next level and I cannot wait for the new season to start.”

Glasgow City are one of the dominant clubs in the league and as winners of the treble last season are headed to the Champions League once again. The club brought Robertson, as well as a few others, onto the side to bolster the squad in advance of the UEFA and domestic campaigns. 

Though she played midfield for the Shine, Robertson is a well-established defender in Scotland at the club and youth international level, and is hoping to break through to the Scottish first team after a successful youth career that recently came to a close with the U19 side.

“There is no doubt that Lisa will add to the quality of our squad,” Glasgow City Head Coach Eddie Wolecki Black said in the club announcement. “She has been established as a Premier League player for a few seasons now and has always impressed against us. Lisa is a very attack-minded player, with good technique and with ability to get up and down the park. I believe having shared a dressing room with a number of her new teammates at international level, will see her settle quickly at the club. Her competitiveness will cement her popularity and being left sided is an added bonus for us. I wish her well and look forward to seeing her in pre-season.”

Robertson was the team captain on and off the field for the Shine this past summer and completed the campaign with two goals while also finishing the season as the leader in assists, primarily off of her excellent dead ball services. The team won the WPSL Northwest Division championship with a 6-2-2 record.

“I'm so excited for her.  It's a good move for her at this time in her career,” said Shine head coach Jason Quintero. “She's only 20 and has quite a few quality years left in her, especially the way she takes care of herself.

“Lisa is a fiercely loyal person and I know it broke her heart to leave her childhood club, but now she'll be playing in Champions League next year and maybe that'll give her another quality shot at the Scotland squad, which she’s been on the fringes of the past couple years. 

Lisa Robertson Gallery on INW Facebook page [+]

“She was the consummate captain of our team last year and a major reason we won the Northwest Division.  With her in Champions League next summer it unfortunately means she isn't coming back, but that's what Spokane Shine is, a springboard for top notch players to get to that next level, much like Marissa Mykines going on to play professionally in Europe after her time with the Shine.”

Returning to Scotland this year at the midseason point in August, Robertson helped guide the Hibs to a tie for third place (14-1-6) in the SWPL table for 2012 with Celtic (14-1-6), finishing one point back of runners-up Forfar Farmington (14-2-5).

Glasgow City won the league for a sixth consecutive season by posting a nearly perfect record with only one loss on the ledger at 20-0-1 due to use of an ineligible player that overturned a victory against Forfar Farmington.  The club reached the Round of 32 in the Champions League before bowing out, 2-1, on aggregate to Danish and European powerhouse Fortuna Hjorring.  The club is 108-3-3 in league play for the past six championship seasons.

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