Ex-Aberdeen Women captain Kelly Forrest has pitched a recruitment strategy which she feels can be improved to help her former side thrive.
Forrest, 34, guided the Dons to a fifth-place finish in the 2021-22 SWPL 1 season – the team’s first back in the top-flight – before retiring.
In season 2022-23, the Reds endured a challenging time near the bottom of the table – eventually finishing ninth, having secured their status in the division with just two games to spare.
Forrest believes factors such as improved investment by other teams and the exit of co-managers Emma Hunter and Gavin Beith contributed to her former club’s “rollercoaster” season.
And the ex-Aberdeen skipper says finding the correct squad-building strategy this summer will be key to improving the women’s team’s fortunes ahead of the new campaign starting in August – and avoiding further seasons of struggle.
New additions to the squad will be vital following the recent confirmation of captain Loren Campbell, Millie Urquhart, Mya Christie, Nadia Sopel and Eirinn McCafferty’s departures.
Forrest believes the club must find a “sustainable” strategy which balances youth and experience.
“Aberdeen have got positives and negatives with their geography, but compared to some of the other teams in SWPL 1, they have a much larger pool of youth to look at,” said Forrest.
“A big objective for the club should be to build relationships with these community clubs in the city and in the Shire.
“The dream and opportunity for young girls to play for Aberdeen is there.
“We’ve showcased the game – they will have seen Aberdeen on TV and playing at Pittodrie.”
To lure external – more experienced – signings north, Forrest believes more needs to be done to make the Dons an attractive proposition.
Forrest said: “Aberdeen have got huge leverage in the fact there are lots of youth clubs to pick from, but the difference, for me, is having a pool of experienced players.
“And that comes from having a recruitment strategy in place.
“It’s learning how to make it appealing for people to come and play. In the women’s game, moving from the central belt to Aberdeen is not a typical move.
“It’s got to be worth it for the players – it can’t just be because it’s Aberdeen. People are going to need an appeal.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be financial, but links with the universities could be an opportunity to create a package for players that are on the cusp of deciding where they want to go.
“It’s why I moved up here – I moved from Edinburgh to Aberdeen for uni.
“You’ve got to package it up and create value in other ways to entice players to the city. That falls under the recruitment strategy for now and for the future.”
Signing experienced players could alleviate pressure on current squad
Forrest believes new signings would benefit the current squad, who were the youngest in SWPL 1 during the season with an average age of 20.7 years old.
Over the last two top-flight campaigns, which includes a total of 59 games, four of Aberdeen’s five highest appearance-makers are 19-year-old Bayley Hutchison (52), 21-year-old Eilidh Shore (56), 18-year-old Jess Broadrick (57) and 19-year-old Bailley Collins (57).
Outgoing captain Campbell, 32, makes up the top-five with 53 appearances.
“You can’t deny the fact there’s pressure on those players,” said Forrest. “I felt the pressure, even as an experienced player, when the demand was on us to get promoted back to SWPL 1.
“It’s about the individual and how they handle it. It can bring a massive amount of learning and experience to their game.
“But from a club perspective, are they comfortable putting a lot of pressure on the younger players? And do they look at these young players and think they can manage it?
“It’s doable – don’t get me wrong – but the pressure absolutely is there and the question is whether that is sustainable.
“Is it a good learning experience? Yes. Is it sustainable? You’ve got to look at the personalities and then the people around them – it’s not a one-man band, it’s a collective.
“The club needs to realise that as well. There is huge pressure and they need to assess whether these young players can handle it, because it is a big risk to take.”
Forrest does believe the squad are capable of handling the pressure, but feels more can be done to take some weight off their young shoulders.
“It’s fine when you’re riding a good wave, but it’s always a challenge – and we’ve seen that with Aberdeen recently – when there is a run of losses,” added Forrest.
“In our first season back in SWPL 1, there was a run of losses, but there was a collective belief about the team and having experienced players in the mix definitely helped.
“There definitely needs to be a blend of experience and youth.
“Getting a couple more experienced players in would be the target for me, to help alleviate the pressure on the girls. I think they can handle it, but speaking from experience, it does get to you.”
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