Kirsty Hanson scored in her first game for Tottenham during pre-season
A number of stars from overseas have joined the Women's Super League this summer – but a move that has gone slightly under the radar could turn out to be more astute than them all.
Kirsty Hanson has swapped Aston Villa for Tottenham and there is reason to believe Spurs have quietly pulled off a recruitment masterstroke.
The 28-year-old was the third-highest goalscorer in the WSL last season despite the Scotland forward's side labouring in ninth place in the table.
With 12 goals in 22 matches, only PFA player of the year Khadija Shaw and England striker Alessia Russo scored more than her.
So why did Hanson make the move and how does she intend to take ambitious Tottenham – who start their WSL season on 6 September at home to West Ham – to another level this season?
How Tottenham's transfer window shows big WSL ambitions
Find interviews and extra content on the BBC Women's Football Weekly feed
Fernandes and Shaw win PFA player of the year awards
It's true to say that Hanson's career really burst into life last season, but she had been steadily progressing throughout her successful four-year spell at Aston Villa.
Prior to that, she played a key role in Manchester United's development as a professional women's team before then struggling for regular game time.
When Villa brought her in initially on loan in 2022, Hanson was low on confidence and needed a boost.
With 26 goals in 100 appearances for Villa and two player-of-the-season awards, it's fair to say that happened.
"I've got to thank Villa so much. They know that I left on good terms. I really enjoyed my time," Hanson told BBC Sport.
"Everyone there helped me boost my confidence again. Hopefully, I can just build on that now, but I'm not putting pressure on myself.
