Hannah Innes is happy to be playing regularly for Aberdeen Women in the SWPL after having to bide her time.
The 21-year-old winger has played 15 times in the SWPL, starting 10 matches, in what has been a breakthrough campaign under manager Clint Lancaster.
She did not feature at all for the Dons in the top-flight last season after being sent on loan to SWF Championship side Dryburgh Athletic.
Having had a good run in the team this term, Innes is happy to have been given the chance to showcase what she can offer the club.
She said: “It is really good to be a regular player – it’s what I have aimed to do the last couple of seasons, so to finally get what I was working for is brilliant.
“I’m just trying to contribute as often as I can when I am playing.
“It has been different. You see the game a lot when you are sitting from the substitutes bench, but when you are playing it is totally different.
“You do notice the level and how the standard is constantly improving.”
Minutes at Aberdeen Women helping Innes improve
Innes, who scored her first competitive goal in a Scottish Cup win earlier this month, reckons her game is reaping the benefits of more minutes in the SWPL.
She added: “I do feel like different parts of my game have improved.
“Playing as a wing-back as opposed to just a wide player, I have to do a bit both with the attack and defensively.
“It can be difficult, but that is a wing-back has to do and I’m enjoying learning new things.
“As a wing-back, you are involved in both parts of the game, defence and attack, so I’m just hoping to contribute with as many assists and goals I can during the rest of the season.”
‘Not the way Dons wanted to start 2024 league business’
Innes’ most recent appearance for Aberdeen came from the starting XI in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Patrick Thistle at Petershill Park.
She said: “It’s not the way we wanted to start the league in the new year.
“We can take some positives and created a few chances, but it comes down to the fine details.
“We didn’t take those chances and their goals come from nothing, which gives them the three points.
“We’ve got a couple of weeks’ break now and we will go away and prepare for the next game.”
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