Heart of Midlothian Women have made a "real statement of intent" with their latest signing, Bayley Hutchison from Aberdeen.

The 20-year-old finished top scorer in the SWPL and has signed a two-year deal with the Gorgie club with an option for a further year.

Hutchison, through her exploits with Aberdeen, including 28 league goals last season, is one of the most highly-rated strikers in Scotland and has recently featured for the country's under-23 side. The club had to fight off stiff competition to secure her services.

READ MORE: The inside story of Hearts Women's progress under Eva Olid

Hearts Women head coach Eva Olid spoke of her delight at landing the "unpredictable" forward.

“I’m so happy that Bayley has chosen Hearts as the next step in her career," she told the official club website. "During my first season here, Bayley scored a hat-trick against us, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, that striker is good’.

“She’s unpredictable, which makes her dangerous. She can drop deep, and she can run in behind. For our game, that versatility is important. She is a clever striker, which is highlighted by the types of goals she scores.

“I’ve always said that we want to dominate opponents and create lots of chances. Having a striker with the numbers that Bayley has is a very exciting prospect."

Hearts are looking to close the gap further to the top three in women's football. The women's team's head of recruitment Sean Burt believes "this signing as a real statement of intent".

"Bayley is a top, top striker, who finished as the league’s top goalscorer last season and has scored over 100 goals during her time at Aberdeen," he said.

“It’s never easy to score the number of goals that she has, but what is even more impressive is the different types of goals that she’s scored. She's comfortable with both feet and in the air.

“All of that shows that we’ve had to fend off some serious suitors to get this deal done and we’re delighted that Bayley believes Hearts is the right place for her to continue her development.”