With just 15 minutes left on the clock, Steph Catley prepared to take the in-swinging free kick. Arsenal were on the brink of defeat, 2-1 down at home to Wolfsburg in the Champions League Semi Final. Stina Blackstenius may have given them an early lead, but Wolfsburg had since turned the game on its head. And with Blackstenius having limped off midway through the second half, Jonas Eidevall’s ongoing injury crisis had robbed him of yet another forward. The well of options in attack may appear to have run dry, but Eidevall still had one card left to play. One final ace up his sleeve.
The initial delivery flew straight through the penalty area, but Lotte Wubben-Moy was quick to retrieve possession and send it back into the penalty area. There, a certain veteran Scottish defender, now operating as an emergency striker, rolled back the years of her long career, to leap above the Wolfsburg defence and meet Wubben-Moy’s cross, and gave hope to the 60,000-strong sell-out crowd that this game was far from over.
“Jen Beattie! With one of the biggest goals of her life!” cried out DAZN commentator Chris Sharples in amazement, as Beattie dragged the game back to 2-2, keeping Arsenal’s hopes for a second European Final appearance flickering for a little while longer.
The cross, the goal, the celebrations, Beattie knocking Alexandra Popp off her feet as she ran away in bewildered joy. When Beattie announced her retirement from football, this was the moment Arsenal fans found themselves looking back on. It mattered not that Wolfsburg won the game in extra-time, and Arsenal, despite battling hard, ultimately missed out on the Final in Eindhoven. The outpouring of emotion that came from Beattie’s header was the overriding memory of that day. Because this was more than just a late equaliser in a UWCL Semi Final. This was a goal from a much-loved, much-respected player, a warrior who fought hard in her battles, on and off the pitch. A winner of League Cups, FA Cups and League Titles. This was the climax of the story of Jennifer Beattie.
Born in Glasgow in 1991, Beattie was always destined to have a career in sport, although the sport in question could easily have been something completely different.
“My sporting inspirations were my brother and my dad. My dad was an ex-Scotland British and Irish Lion (John Beattie), and then for my brother (Johnnie Beattie), I was there for his first cap at Murrayfield, playing for Scotland.” – Jen Beattie matchday programme interview – 30/10/2022
Yet despite growing up in a rugby union dominated household, football was the trajectory Beattie opted for.
“I went to watch a Rangers game at Ibrox with my dad. I just remember thinking the atmosphere was amazing. The one player who stood out was Lorenzo Amoruso. I thought he was unreal!” – Jen Beattie matchday programme interview – 30/10/2022
Following on from her first match experience at Ibrox, Beattie realised she had found her calling. She was made captain of her school’s football team, which until her arrival had been solely made up of boys. From the local parks to the big pitches, by the age of 15, she was playing in the senior team for the likes of Queen’s Park and Celtic. Her talents were not going unnoticed, as she was called up for her country’s Under-19 side, where her path would cross with a coach that would change her career forever.
When Vic Akers called time on his second spell at Arsenal Ladies in 2009, it concluded the career of one of the greatest and successful managerial reigns of all time. It also left the club with a conundrum. Arsenal had just secured another treble, but only by the skin of their teeth. For most of the season, Everton looked to have been in the driving seat, only for Suzanne Grant to score the decisive goal on the final day and rip the title from the Toffee’s grasp.
Everton may have lost the title, but they had closed the gap on Arsenal, an Arsenal team that was now in a position of weakness. Star players, such as Kelly Smith, Alex Scott and Karen Carney, had all departed to play in the newly formed professional league in the US. With a weakened squad, title rivals banging on the door, and a ship now without its longstanding captain at the helm, this was a moment of great uncertainty for the Gunners.
The manager brought in to ensure Arsenal remained on track to sustain their success was Tony Gervaise. Gervaise had in fact arrived at Arsenal the previous year, to take up the role of both Academy Director and Akers’ assistant, replacing Emma Hayes, who had departed the club to manage in the US. Before coming to Arsenal, Gervaise had worked with the Scottish Women’s National Team, managing Under-19 side, including a young Jen Beattie.
“He was my national team coach. He was actually the assistant coach at Arsenal as well, and he was the guy that brought me down here when I was 18. I wouldn’t have got a big break like that if it wasn’t for him.” – Jen Beattie matchday programme interview – 30/10/2022
With Gervaise now promoted to the top job, his first move was to bring the talented Scotswoman south of the border to join the Arsenal. Beattie was given the number 14, and slotted into the attack alongside fellow Scot, Julie Fleeting.
In her first season, she scored 11 goals in all competitions, one more than Fleeting, but well below top-scoring midfield maestro, Kim Little. In one particularly memorable match against Chelsea, Lianne Sanderson and Leanne Champ scored within the first 10 minutes to force Arsenal onto the back foot, only for a second half hat-trick from Beattie, her third in the final minute, to turn the match on its head and take home all three points.
Beattie also claimed her first major title, the Premier League, but lost out in the FA Cup Final to Everton. By this time, Gervaise had already departed, leaving the club halfway through the season, with Laura Harvey stepping up to take his place on the touchline.
The following season was one of seismic change for the Women’s game in England, as the Women’s Super League was born. Arsenal were one of the eight teams brought into the fold to lead this bold new venture. After winning their opening match away at Chelsea, Arsenal played Bristol Academy at Meadow Park, their first home WSL match. What should have been a day of celebration looked to be heading towards a disappointing and anti-climatic 0-0 draw. That was until the 81st minute, when Beattie unleashed a howitzer from the edge of the box that finally defeated Siobhan Chamberlain, securing Arsenal a hard fought 1-0 triumph.
The first two WSL seasons for Arsenal were extremely prosperous. Under Harvey’s stewardship, Arsenal picked up 5 major honours, and regularly went deep in the UWCL. In one campaign, they were drawn against Barcelona.
But as glorious as those moments were, the end of Beattie’s time at Arsenal was near. By 2013, having spent 4 years at the club, Beattie was ready for a fresh challenge, and signed for Montpellier. After two seasons and two back-to-back fourth-placed finishes, Beattie was on the move again, returning to the familiar waters of the WSL, with a different club’s crest on her shirt.
Whilst Beattie had been enjoying the sunny shores of the south coast of France, Arsenal’s fortunes had spiralled into murky waters. A mass exodus of talent and a slump in form had seen the club tumble from their high tower, and now the rest of the clubs in the WSL had their eyes on the vacated throne. One of those was Manchester City, who were bankrolling big on their Women’s Team, on the club facilities, and on talent.
In 2014, an all-star cast of players swarmed to the flame of promised success, both competitive and financial, as Manchester City bought the brightest and best from the clubs around them. Izzy Christiansen, Toni Duggan, Steph Houghton, Jill Scott and Karen Bardsley all flocked to the club, and whilst they may not have been successful in the league, they defeated Arsenal in the WSL Cup Final to secure their first major trophy, Christiansen heading in the winner past Emma Byrne with 17 minutes remaining.
But one trophy was far from enough for Man City, they had their eyes on further glory. The FA Cup, the WSL, and competing in Europe. The loud ambition from the club was a tantalising prospect that Beattie could not turn down.
“City have their targets set on winning trophies and that’s the kind of club I want to be at. The facilities at the club are just unbelievable and it’s a really good time to try and make your mark on a club. I’m ready for a new challenge and I’m looking forward to returning to the Women’s Super League. I’ve missed it.” – The FA
With Beattie at the club, Manchester City rose up the League Table, from fifth in 2014, to second in 2015, qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history. The following season, they went one better, with an unbeaten league campaign seeing them finish top of the pile, whilst in the WSL Cup, Beattie had an unforgettable reunion with a familiar foe.
Just as at Arsenal, success became routine for Beattie at Manchester City. Whilst the League Title was never retained, League and FA Cups became commonplace. In 2019, Beattie walked out onto the hallowed turf of Wembley Stadium as Man City played West Ham United in the FA Cup Final. Partnering ex-Arsenal teammate and now City captain, Steph Houghton, Beattie kept a clean sheet, as the Cityzens comfortably dispatched the Irons 3-0, winning a second FA Cup. It was a glorious moment for Beattie, to be able to stand on the famous Wembley balcony, lifting the FA Cup aloft, in what would prove to be her final game for the club.
However, when asked what game throughout her career she has replayed the most in her mind, for Beattie, there is only one answer. It wasn’t that FA Cup Final, or those past wins against Chelsea or Barcelona. It wasn’t even for one of her clubs.
That same year, Scotland made their debut at the World Cup, and in their final group game, needed a strong win to have any chance of getting out of the group. They made the perfect start when Little stabbed home a loose ball in the penalty area. Early in the second half, Beattie’s club teammate Caroline Weir sent a brilliant cross into the box that she met with a bullet header past the gloves of Vanina Correa.
“Scoring at the World Cup against Argentina, on the same pitch my dad had scored a try for Scotland – that was special. It was one of those ‘what the hell?’ moments that you don’t even dream of because it’s just so far out of the picture.” – Jen Beattie matchday programme interview – 09/12/2021
Erin Cuthbert made it 3-0 20 minutes later, seemingly securing a first World Cup win for Scotland and a place in the knockout rounds. But fate had other ideas, and a shambolic collapse, combined with a twice taken injury time penalty, saw Argentina tie the game at 3-3, and saw Scotland tumble out of the World Cup. It was a painful summer for Scotland and Beattie, but positive change was just around the corner.
During the WSL off-season in October 2015, Beattie took advantage of their interconnected nature, by going out on loan to Melbourne to sustain her match fitness. In doing so, she became the first ever female player to play for both sister clubs.
“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to play for Melbourne City and compete in the W-League; this is a new challenge for me and one I’m really looking forward to. I have no doubt CFA Melbourne will be a home away from home too; I just can’t wait to get started“
Beattie may have only been there for one season, but she did not return on the flight home from Victoria with nothing in the overhead locker to show for her efforts. Melbourne City, in what was their debut campaign in the W-League, went unbeaten, finishing top of the League. In the Play-off Semi-Finals, Beattie was amongst the scorers in the penalty shootout win over Brisbane Roar, then scoring the opener in a 4-1 trouncing of Sydney FC in the Grand Final. Three years later, with Beattie now out of contract at Manchester City, Arsenal saw an opportunity too good to ignore.
On the 5th June 2019, ten years on from her first arrival at the club, Beattie was back at Arsenal once again. The then Scottish striker, now warrior defender, had returned to the club that provided her first taste of the elixir of glory, to fight on the pitch to keep Gunners back on top, just as they once were.
But off the pitch, her biggest battle was yet to come.
“This is the most special one. Of all the pictures and all the moments, this is one of the standout moments for me, as a player.“
11th October 2020. The streets have fallen silent, as the COVID-19 lockdown remains in full effect. Football stadiums, once filled with a vibrant atmosphere, now exist as hollow, vacuous shells, the only noise emanating from them are the players on the pitch. The fans may have been forced to stay away, but for Jen Beattie, the players still had to play. Arsenal had travelled to Brighton, hoping to continue their 100% start to the new season. By half-time, goals from Vivianne Miedema and Van de Donk had given the Gunners a secure 2-0 advantage. Then just three minutes into the second half, a Katie McCabe corner was headed home by Beattie, despite the best efforts of the defender on the line.
Every Arsenal player rushed over to Beattie to celebrate with her. To those outside, this appeared to be a routine goal celebration, but it was only later that its deeper meaning became apparent. Three days earlier, Beattie had been diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
“Through Covid protocols, no-one was allowed to hug me when they found out. It was very much social distancing. But the beauty that football was happening, and sport was being allowed, this moment is just the epitome of a team coming together and supporting someone through a really, really difficult time.“
Following surgery to remove the lump, and a course of radiotherapy, Beattie won her battle against Breast Cancer, and at the 2021 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, won the Helen Rollason Award for ‘outstanding achievement in the face of adversity’. She continues to speak about her experience, encouraging others to check themselves, as an early diagnosis can ensure a better chance of recovery.
“I had zero family history of breast cancer, or any type of cancer, so it’s more common than we think. But if people get checked and find these things early then it can be okay. It’s important to use the platform I have, to voice my experience and what I went through, to try to encourage people to go to GPs and hospitals to get these things checked and to share that my experience was really safe.“
As the years progressed and the seasons passed, time slowly began to catch up on Beattie and her career. Her role in the team shifted from starter to squad player. As the level of the game continued to rise, the veteran centre-back struggled to keep pace with the changing dynamic.
But Beattie was far from finished at Arsenal. Her experience and knowledge of the game more than compensated for her physical detriments. When Arsenal lost Williamson to an ACL injury, Eidevall reconfigured Arsenal’s defence to a back three, with Beattie at its heart. It was a ploy that worked, Arsenal were able to get their season over the line, with a strong European run and a League Cup under their arm.
Yet the credits of her second spell in North London were already starting to roll. Her final goal came in another heroic rescue act, a late equaliser to take their UWCL qualifier with Paris FC to extra time. In the League Cup, she scored the winning penalty to defeat Tottenham Hotspur in the shootout. And then, against Reading, her final game. On the hour mark, the board was raised, as Williamson made her long-awaited return from her ACL injury. As she took to the field to rapturous applause from the travelling support, Beattie departed, her time at Arsenal complete.
Beattie was able to enjoy one final flourish, a year in the US, playing for the newly formed Bay FC in the NWSL. Then, on the 21st January 2025, the warrior, fighter, general, leader, legend, Jen Beattie, called time on a hugely successful, memorable, incredible career in football. From Glasgow to London, Montpellier to Manchester, there and back again, the story of Jen Beattie the footballer had reached its final, glorious conclusion.
