Celtic have been nominated for a prestigious European Club Association (ECA) in the Women’s Football Award 2021 category for the club’s move to a full-time professional women’s first-team and a free Academy system.

The aim of the ECA Awards is to promote and reward outstanding achievements from ECA member clubs which can serve as inspiration for the whole ECA membership and wider football community.

The objectives of Celtic’s nominated project was threefold:

To turn the women's first team professional, creating pathways and opportunities for young women in Scotland.
To remove all fees for young girls in our Academy and change to culture from pay to play to elite pathway to a future career in football.
To raise the profile of women's football in Scotland and change perception of professional women's sport creating role models for young girls to aspire to.

Celtic Chief Executive Dom McKay said: “It’s great that the club has been nominated for this award, and it is testament to all the hard work that has been done in the women’s set-up, from the first-team and all the way through our Academy.

“Last season was obviously a historic one for our women’s team in what was the first season as a professional squad. To finish second in the league and qualify for the Champions League for the first team is something that Fran Alonso and the players should be rightly proud of, and we want to build on that success in the seasons ahead.

'Our first-team players, whether they have come through our Academy or have joined us elsewhere, know that they are role models and can inspire the next generation of players.'

“It’s important that we are identifying our stars of the future and providing them with a pathway to hopefully a future career as a Celtic player, and to be able to provide a free Academy set-up is an important part of that.

“So we are delighted that the work which is being done has been recognised through our nomination for this prestigious award and I want to thank and congratulate everyone involved for their hard work.”

And Celtic manager, Fran Alonso added: “We are delighted at this nomination, and it’s something that everyone at the club should be very proud of.

“It was a very important year for us, with the team in its first season as a professional set-up, and the support that we’ve had from everyone at the club has been fantastic. That is a crucial element in what we do and in what we’re trying to achieve here, and on behalf of all the players, I would like to thank everyone for that support.

“The girls showed tremendous qualities throughout the season, working hard every single day, and they got the rewards for that by finishing second and qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in our history.

'Every member of the squad played their part, including some of the younger players who have come through our excellent Academy.'

“The support, too, from Celtic supporters has been incredible, and knowing that our fans were watching the games and cheering us on during those last few weeks of the season really helped the team.

“So this nomination is for all of us – players, management, supporters, and everyone at the club.”

The winners will be announced during the 26th ECA General Assembly taking place on September 6-7, 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Celtic nominated for prestigious ECA Women's Football Award