Hibernian captain Murray to hang up boots at end of season
HIBERNIAN Women captain Joelle Murray will hang up her boots at the end of the 2023/24 campaign after more than 500 games and 14 trophies throughout a glittering career in the game that also included 16 appearances in the Champions League and 48 caps for Scotland.
The 37-year-old has been a leader, pioneer, and role model for two decades and is the Hibs Women’s team record appearance holder, with 505 games under her belt and likely more to come before the season’s end.
Her decision comes barely 24 hours after Hibs confirmed that Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson, who have both made more than 500 appearances for the men’s team, would be leaving the club at the end of the cinch Premiership season.
A self-confessed Hibs fan who was attending Easter Road as a supporter from the age of five, Murray combines her role as a player with serving as director of the club’s Girls and Women’s Academy and Junior Development Manager.
The most decorated player in Hibs Women history, she has led Hibs to two league titles, seven Scottish Cup wins, and five League Cup victories.
Perhaps the most memorable trophy win was in 2016, when Hibs completed a men’s and women’s double in the Scottish Cup.
The first player to sign a professional contract with Hibs Women in 2020, Murray has dedicated huge amounts of time to drive forward the women’s game in Scotland both on and off the pitch.
Speaking to the BBC last month she said: “I think the evolution of the game has been absolutely massive. Certainly in my time, I’ve seen quite a lot of it and been proud to have been a part of it and played a part in it.
“I think the next step would be to get a more even playing field across the league.
“You can see that there are fulltime teams, there are part-time teams, and there are hybrid teams.
“To get even more competitive, we need a bigger buy-in from the association and for each club to really buy into their women’s team and resource and support as equally as we possibly can.”
With three matches left of the SWPL season against Hearts, Rangers, and Celtic, Murray won’t be going quietly and will likely take up her customary role in the backline.
Once she leaves the pitch for the last time as a player, she will continue to work for the club off the pitch as well as fulfilling a key role in Grant Scott’s backroom team.
Scott, who has worked with Murray on two separate occasions as head coach of Hibs Women, described her as an icon of the game adding: “Although her professional career on the pitch is now coming to an end, her legacy will be felt for many years to come. She’s paved the way for so many to thrive in the future.
“Joelle has lived and breathed football for such a long time, and she leaves it in the strongest place it has ever been a true testament to her leadership, professionalism, talent, and dedication.
“I feel incredibly privileged to have been able to work with her on two occasions now and know her name will be written into the history books as a true footballing great.”