Motherwell busy with new recruits for SWPL kick-off

Midfielder Sophie Rutherford is the third player to join Motherwell on loan from SWPL rivals Rangers this summer. Robertson will link up with Mia McArthur and Saoirse Coyle-Morrow at the North Lanarkshire club, who have also signed Ellie MacDonald after her Queen's Park exit. Rutherford and MacDonald were team-mates at Queen's Park in SWPL2 last season. Lucy Sinclair has returned to the club after a stint at Partick Thistle, while teenage defender Olivia McStay has arrived from Hamilton Academical. "Sophie has already gained a strong level of senior experience, and we felt that she was more than ready to make the step into the top-flight," said head coach Iain Robinson. On MacDonald, he added: "Ellie is a player that I've worked with previously and she became an absolute standout for Queens Park last season. "She really adds a new dynamic to our midfield and plenty of competition for places." On her return, Sinclair said: "I'm really excited to be back. I feel like a completely different player and person from the one that last walked through the doors at Fir Park." McStay came through the academy at Celtic, with Robinson saying: "Despite her young age, she brings experience from the last two-seasons and plenty of space to develop the talent she has."