The Reds boss went back to his former club West Ham United for a new No.9 in striker Leanne Kiernan, and her arrival was followed by the unveiling of winger Yana Daniels, left-back Megan Campbell, defender Jasmine Matthews and midfielder Carla Humphrey.
Beard feels the new players will strengthen his squad and create competition for places, which he considers imperative if the side are to achieve their ambition of returning to the Women’s Super League.
Read on as Beard talks about the new arrivals at LFC Women this summer…
On the new recruits so far…
We’ve worked hard in this recruitment process and I’m delighted to welcome all the girls to the club. We are really excited just to get going now, welcoming back the current group and the new signings and just getting to work. I think we have added top-division quality to an already good squad. I think the biggest thing for me with this recruitment process was to create competition for places which will drive the standards in training. We are still looking to maybe bring in one or two more as well to continue with that competition, but we are really excited. I feel we are building a good squad here, a squad that knows the WSL and also the experience the girls have had in the FA Women’s Championship last year. Hopefully we’ve got the blend right and we’ve got the balance right within the team now and it gives us the best opportunity to try to get out of this division.
On the qualities Leanne Kiernan can bring to the side…
Leanne is a versatile forward. She is very quick and she can score goals – not only from inside the box but she can score goals from outside the box as well. She is an infectious character as well and has a great personality. But one of her biggest traits with Leanne is her work-rate and the way she conducts herself – it’s something I think we need in this league and I’m excited to see what she can do. I first signed Leanne when she was 18. That was her first time being away from home, she has grown up a lot over the past three years and I think this is a good move for us and also for Leanne.
LFCTV GO: Leanne Kiernan signs for LFC Women
On a second spell at the club for Yana Daniels…
Yana is a great player, first and foremost. She is a little bit different to what we have in the front positions at the moment. I felt we had a lot of players who are very similar in the wide positions. Yana can come in off the line, she is good in the air and she is a very technically gifted footballer who can create and score goals. I also think this is a unique club and it’s a big club, and I feel Yana’s experience of being here before and understanding the brand and the pressures of what it means to be a Liverpool player – that is something that we were taking into consideration when we were looking at her. I remember one of my first conversations I had with her when we were at Bristol City and I was talking about consistency. She was outstanding for me at Bristol City and she never missed a game and never missed a minute. She’s a great person as well, a really good person and that’s something I really love about her.
On another return to the Reds for Jasmine Matthews…
Jas is a very good footballer and she surprised me. She reads the game really well, technically she is gifted and she can pass a ball. She has great vision and it was a big blow when I lost her to injury during our time at Bristol City, to be perfectly honest with you. It was a big, big blow and a big void to try to fill. Again, similar to Yana, she knows this football club but she’s a great person and she’s a very good footballer. She is also versatile. She can play centre-back and can play central midfield, so she is going to be a great asset to the squad.
On signing Megan Campbell from Manchester City…
Meg will offer us a bit of versatility as she can play centre-back, left-back and obviously her long throw is well-documented and known in the game – and with players like Furney in our team, it will be a good weapon for us. It’s another way of scoring a goal and it’s another set-piece and a lot of goals in the women’s game come from set-plays. She is a fantastic footballer and I think it just fits for us and it fits for her. She is another player that knows how to win things, so her experience is going to be valuable this year with our targets.
LFCTV GO: Megan Campbell signs
On the arrival of Carla Humphrey…
Carla is another talented player. She is very good in tight spaces and she’s got a great football brain. She sees pictures that a lot of people don’t see, especially if you are playing against teams in a block. She is going to be valuable for us in tight spaces and creating goalscoring opportunities. Again, she offers a bit of versatility as she can play wide, can play as a No.8 or No.10. She is going to be a really good addition to the team as well.