Scotland Women's Football Team

Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta explains the "easy" decision to recall captain Rachel Corsie after injury.

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden

Image source, SNS

Scotland head coach Melissa Andreatta believes Kathleen McGovern is "what Scotland need" after the Australian called up the Hibernian striker to the national team for the first time.

McGovern has 25 goals for the SWPL league leaders this season and has represented Scotland at various youth levels.

At her first news conference as Scotland boss, the Australian said she had taken in Hibs' Edinburgh derby win at Hearts and the forward caught her eye.

"It's a combination of that [what I saw in that game] and just what I would like to do with this team," Andreatta said.

Despite being just 22 years old, McGovern has been on the domestic scene for some time and excelled at city rivals Hearts before ing Hibs in the summer.

After coming through the ranks at Celtic, she spent a season in with SC Sand and built on her fierce finishing and superb strength.

"I think her personality also, what you see on the field and she's a good fit for this team and what we need in this point in time," Andreatta added.

"She's worked really hard for this opportunity and she's deserved it with those performances week in, week out and earned it."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden Park

Image source, SNS

Melissa Andreatta addressed the media after naming her first Scotland squad for the Nations League A games against Austria and the Netherlands later this month.

Here are the key things from her news conference:

• The head coach said it was "an easy decision" to recall captain Rachel Corsie, despite the defender not playing for Scotland since July, missing most of the season through injury and leaving Aston Villa at the weekend.

• "True professional" Corsie is "Scotland through and through" and her relief was evident when she was given the news of her selection.

• First-time call up Kathleen McGovern is "a good fit" for Scotland and the Hibs striker has "worked really hard for this opportunity".

• Andreatta says their is "a hunger" within the players to represent Scotland, "get to the next level and achieve their goals".

• The penultimate Nations League A game against Austria is "a real opportunity to show everyone what we're all about".

• The head coach hasn't spoken to former Scotland international Kim Little, who is set to captain Arsenal in the Champions League final on 24 May but the midfielder is definitely someone she wants "to connect and speak with".

Captain Rachel Corsie returns for Scotland for the first time since July following injury as head coach Melissa Andreatta names her first squad.

There is also a first call up for Hibernian striker Kathleen McGovern, who has 25 goals for the Scottish Women's Premier League leaders, while Rangers captain Nicola Docherty and two club-mates - winger Brogan Hay and forward Kirsty Howat - are recalled.

What do you make of Andreatta's first squad? Are you happy with the first-time call-ups and Corsie's return?

Give us your thoughts here.

Image source, SNS

Scotland and Rangers defender Leah Eddie is excited for a "fresh start" under new national team head coach Melissa Andreatta.

Pedro Martinez Losa was dismissed as Scotland boss after the failure to reach Euro 2025 - the third major tournament in a row they have missed.

Former Australia assistant Andreatta was appointed his permanent successor last month after interim head coach Mick McArdle had overseen four straight defeats.

Scotland face Austria and the Netherlands in their remaining Nations League fixtures in just over three weeks and Eddie is looking forward to a "clean slate" under Andreatta.

"It's an exciting time for everyone involved," Eddie told BBC Scotland.

"She is coming in full of energy and wanting to do well so hopefully she can implement what she wants and we can start getting the results that we want.

"Everyone's really looking forward to getting to know her. It's a clean slate.

"I've not heard much about her or worked with her or know people who have worked with her which I think could be a good thing. But I think it's such an exciting time for the national team.

"A fresh start was maybe exactly what the national team needed and focusing on each camp at a time.

"Getting her in the door and hopefully everyone's on board with the way she wants to play and bring success. I'm sure if we do that everything will be fine."

Scotland captain Rachel Corsie feared she wouldn't be able to run again let alone play football as she struggled to fight back from long-term injury.

The 35-year-old Aston Villa defender had knee surgery in October that was expected to keep her out for eight weeks.

But her comeback attempts were halted by calf and hip problems before the Villa skipper finally made her first appearance of the season as a late substitute in last week's win over Arsenal.

Speaking on the BBC's Behind the Goals podcast, Corsie said: "It wasn't that many weeks ago where I genuinely was having conversations with a physio and I , I've not cried that many times, but I did cry one day in the physio room.

"We got to the point where I was like, I don't know if I'd ever run again. It wasn't even about will I play football again, I was just like I'd like to be able to go for a jog.

"We reshuffled the rehab plan, the goal is you're trying to return to your sport, so it's very much like how can you play football again.

"We had to switch that to be like I just don't think I can run, running is the thing that causes me the most pain.

"That's how broken my body did feel at one point. Playing again at that moment in time, that's not even something I'm going to put focus to, I just would like to be able to do this.

"Then you chip away and you build yourself back up. Because of all those ups and downs, finishing training on Tuesday before the Arsenal game last week, that was the moment where I felt the greatest relief.

"That was the biggest celebration for me because I'd got through that session which meant I could be in the matchday squad."

Corsie insists chasing a return to Scotland duty was the "biggest factor" in her recovery and she wants to continue her international career under newly-appointed head coach Melissa Andreatta.

"I've just wanted to put myself in a position where I could say I was fit and available, it's so disappointing to have had to miss the last four camps," added Corsie.

"It's really nice to say I am now in a place where I can say that I'm fit.

"Playing for Scotland is the absolute best thing, and it's been the biggest factor in me wanting to strive to actually get back to this point."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden Park

Image source, SNS

Melissa Andreatta's predecessor, Pedro Martinez Losa, was dismissed because of his inability to guide Scotland to Euro 2025. The third major tournament in a row the Scots failed to reach.

A battered and bruised side fell to their knees in December at the Bolt Arena in Helsinki while Finland were celebrating and planning for Switzerland this summer.

Although Scotland have become all too familiar with failure, Andreatta insists the job, and the move around the world with her family, "wasn't a hard sell" and she is confident of "competing on the world stage" with her new team.

"My family know what I'm very ionate about and what I've dreamt of for a long time in my football career and that's to be a head coach," the Australian said at her first media conference.

"It wasn't a hard sell. Whether you're a player or a coach, you want to mix it with the best. You want to be at the highest level and I think of that 12-year-old Mel who dreamt of being a gold medallist at the Olympic Games.

"I think that's the same thing to me, being at the highest level competing against the best on the world stage is things that dreams are made of.

"It would be an honour, a privilege, a dream come true for me as well, but more importantly for a group of players who have been working hard at this for many years - some just starting out on their journey - and it would be super special for them.

"That's what I'm all about, ing a group of people with this one goal to all get on the same page, aligned behind it and going for it and I hope we can do that."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden Park

Image source, SNS

Melissa Andreatta wasn't for letting a little bit of jet-lag get in the way of disturbing her first free week in Scotland before heading to Hampden on Monday morning.

The Australian made the 30-hour flight last week with her family and got immediately stuck into Scottish culture before officially beginning her new role as national team head coach.

Even at this early stage, she believes its a country that "really aligns" with her values.

"Hard working, no nonsense, straight talking, humble, honest, I'm all about that as well," the new head coach said. "Some things just turn up when they do and this opportunity is one of those. It arose and I went for it.

"I'm so honoured to have been given the opportunity to lead the team and I'm going to take it with both hands and run with it."

The 46-year-old also expressed excitement at working with a squad she got a front-row viewing of when Scotland faced Australia in London in 2023 and taking an even "deeper dive" with them in the coming weeks.

Andreatta, whose first game in charge is against Austria later this month, added: "I've been watching previous games, obviously I'm familiar with the players because in my previous role I was exposed to them as well.

"Watching the games myself, I'm still working through that process, it's early days but I'll be diving into that deeply in the coming days to make sure I have a good grasp of things ahead of the next window.

"I think the centre of the park is a strength for the Scottish. The midfield, when we talk about players there, I think the experience and the level that we see players playing at club level is high."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden Park

Image source, SNS

Melissa Andreatta has addressed the media for the first time since being named the new Scotland head coach.

Here are the key points:

• "Honoured" Andreatta "jumped at the opportunity" to become the new head coach, adding: "Who wouldn't">