Ruesha Littlejohn and Katie Keane depart Shamrock Rovers
SHAMROCK ROVERS HAVE announced the departures of Ruesha Littlejohn and Katie Keane.
91-cap Ireland midfielder Littlejohn leaves after three months at the Hoops, following a mutual agreement which allows her to pursue full-time football opportunities outside of Ireland during the July transfer window.
Littlejohn joined in March, bringing huge excitement to the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division, where she produced a highlights reel of goals, including one from the halfway line.
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The 34-year-old now becomes the latest Irish international without a club, joining Aoife Mannion, Heather Payne, Megan Campbell, Izzy Atkinson and Grace Moloney as free agents.
18-year-old goalkeeper Keane, meanwhile, is set for a move to the WSL, as confirmed by Rovers. The Irish Independent reported last week that she has signed for Leicester City.
The Meath native has risen to prominence in recent years, from Shelbourne to Athlone Town to Rovers, and with Ireland underage teams. She starred at last summer's Uefa U19 European Championships, and has been involved in senior camps.
Katie Keane (file photo). Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
The departures are a blow to Rovers, who sit fifth in the league table. They progressed in the FAI Cup over the weekend following a 3-1 win over Waterford FC.
The club statement, in full, reads: 'Shamrock Rovers FC can confirm the departures of Katie Keane and Ruesha Littlejohn from our Women's First Team squad.
'Katie, who joined the club ahead of the 2025 season, will complete a permanent transfer to the Women's Super League in England.
'Ruesha, who became a Hoop in March of this year, is also set to move on. The club and Ruesha had a mutual agreement in place, allowing her to pursue full-time football opportunities outside of Ireland during the July transfer window.
'We would like to thank both Katie and Ruesha for their contributions to Shamrock Rovers over the past number of months and wish them every success in their future careers.'
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