Rachael ready to live the American dream

Rachael has recently accepted an invite from Oakland City University in Indiana to take a up a scholarship there which will see her combine her studies with playing football.

The former Celtic, Rangers and Motherwell player, who also spends her time coaching with East Fife GWFC, was successful in winning a scholarship following a trial held on these shores by Global Sports Recruitment.

GSR helps to evaluate a player’s abilities at its trials before working to place them at an institution in America which will propel them on to the next level by improving their game further.

Rachael is now through that process and gearing up to kick off the next stage of her journey as a young footballer.

The 19-year-old can’t wait.

She told the Gazette: “When I was at training at Rangers I saw that GSR were holding trials so I asked about them and booked onto the next available trail.

"I am really looking forward to heading out to America and meeting my new team and coaches.

"I am excited to see what the future holds and how I will develop as a person and a player.”

The scholarships offer the chance for footballers to join universities in the USA and play competitive football while getting a large part of their tuition fees and living costs paid for by the facility.

Given they are having to fork out for costs, the universities themselves have to be confident in the abilities of those they accept for scholarships.

Rachael, who can play in both midfield and attack, has ticked all the boxes, proving her talents at club level with some of our leading domestic sides in Scotland before taking part in the trial.

The teenager is now wrapping up a few loose ends over here before making the move in the summer.

The former Glenrothes High School pupil will soon be transferring out from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh and heading to Indiana where she will continue her biological sciences degree.

Rachael says she feels she has already fulfilled many of her ambitions in Scotland, including playing in the Premier League for Motherwell.