Emma Lawton

Emma Lawton
Lawton lining up for Scotland, 2025
Personal information
Full name Emma Louise Lawton
Date of birth (2001-07-26) 26 July 2001
Place of birth Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Position Right back
Youth career
Celtic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Partick Thistle
2020–2022 Manchester City 0 (0)
2022–2023 Motherwell 23 (0)
2023–2024 Partick Thistle 35 (5)
2024–2026 Celtic 50 (7)
2026– Ipswich Town 0 (0)
International career‡
2023–2024 Scotland U23 5 (0)
2025– Scotland 12 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 10 March 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 10 March 2026

Emma Louise Lawton (born 26 July 2001) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a right back for Women's Super League 2 club Ipswich Town and for the Scotland women's national team.

Her previous clubs include Partick Thistle (two spells) and Motherwell.

Club career

Raised in East Kilbride,[1] Lawton played for Celtic as a youth player but joined Partick Thistle aged 15, immediately participating at senior level albeit in the SWFL First Division South (the regionalised amateur third tier); she helped Partick gain promotion to the Scottish Women's Premier League-2 in 2018.[2] In late 2019 she joined Manchester City, although only featured for the English club's development side in a spell which was also interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July 2022, Lawton returned to Scotland and signed for SWPL-1 team Motherwell,[3] where she spent one season before re-joining Partick Thistle, now also members of the top tier.[4][2] During the 2023–24 season, Partick reached their first major final – losing 4–1 to Rangers in the SWPL Cup[5] – and finished in the league's top six, with Lawton named in the PFA Scotland SWPL Team of the Year[6] and as the club's Player of the Year.[7] She agreed a new contract with Partick and began the following campaign with the Jags, but joined Celtic on a full-time contract on 12 September 2024 (transfer deadline day) along with Motherwell's Morgan Cross.[8][1][9] She quickly impressed with performances in the SWPL and the UEFA Women's Champions League.[10]

On 26 June 2026, Celtic announced that Lawton was leaving the club after making 71 appearances and scoring 15 goals.[11]

On 15 July 2026, Lawton was announced at Ipswich Town.[12]

International career

Lawton was selected for the Scotland under-23 team, which plays only friendly matches, in 2023 and 2024.[13]

She received her first call-up to the senior Scotland squad in February 2025,[14] making her debut as a starter in a 1–0 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League defeat away to Austria,[15] and scoring her first international goal four days later in a 2–1 loss to the Netherlands at Hampden Park.[16]

Personal life

Lawton has studied and trained as a sports coach, achieving a BA in Football Coaching and Management from the UCFB in 2022, and holding a UEFA B licence by 2024.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 Celtic return 'a humbling moment' for East Kilbride star after academy days, Paul Thomson, Daily Record, 23 September 2024
  2. 1 2 Partick Thistle ace returns to 'make more history' in SWPL, Paul Thomson, Daily Record, 14 July 2023
  3. ↑ Emma Lawton Joins Motherwell FC, Motherwell FC, 2 July 2022
  4. ↑ Emma Lawton Returns To PTWFC, Partick Thistle FC, 7 July 2023
  5. ↑ "Rangers Women 4-1 Partick Thistle Women: Jo Potter's side retain Sky Sports Cup with comfortable win at Tynecastle". Sky Sports. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  6. ↑ Rangers most featured in SWPL team of the year, BBC Sport, 21 April 2024
  7. ↑ Emma Lawton Signs For Celtic, Partick Thistle FC, 12 September 2024
  8. ↑ Celtic swoop on rivals for deadline day double transfer, BBC Sport, 12 September 2024
  9. ↑ Emma Lawton, Celtic FC
  10. 1 2 Lawton living the 'surreal' dream, Amy Canavan, BBC Sport, 27 September 2024
  11. ↑ FC, Celtic. "Official Celtic Football Club Website". Celtic FC. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "Emma Lawton arrives". Ipswich Town F.C. 15 July 2026. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  13. ↑ Emma Lawton, FlashScore. Retrieved 6 January 2025
  14. ↑ Scotland Women's squad: Interim boss Michael McArdle makes 10 changes in first squad with six uncapped players included, Sahil Jaidka, Sky Sports, 6 February 2025
  15. ↑ Scotland beaten by Austria in McArdle’s first game in interim charge, STV News, 21 February 2025
  16. ↑ Scotland 1–2 Netherlands, BBC Sport, 25 February 2025
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