Jen Beattie knew retirement was on the horizon when she left Arsenal last year.

Her move to Bay FC in the United States was a chance to experience a new league and culture, but the realisation that she was ready for a new passion away from the pitch came when she discovered the broadcast opportunities in California were few and far between.

“I had a two-year contract with Bay but the more the season was going on... I was in an area where California was incredible, but there were no sort of broadcasting studios,” Beattie says. “I wasn’t able to do anything outside of it.

“That made me realise that I was finding more enjoyment with other things and that’s OK. I think that’s where the transition comes from, what you really find the enjoyment out of or the fulfilment.”

The former Arsenal defender announced on Tuesday that she was hanging up her boots after an incredible 19-year career, in which she won 14 domestic trophies and 143 caps for Scotland.

While fans will not see Beattie on the pitch again, they will see her on the screen. The 33-year-old is preparing to launch her broadcasting career on a full-time basis and is excited by the opportunities available in the women’s game.

Beattie previously hosted Three Players and a Podcast alongside Rachel Yankey and Izzy Christiansen and has appeared as a pundit on Sky Sports and the BBC. Her move into broadcasting mirrors the path her father, John, and brother, Johnnie, followed after finishing their rugby careers.

“I grew up watching my dad do it for rugby and I kind of always thought that was really cool,” Beattie says. “I was unsure if I would be the cliché daughter that would try to follow in his footsteps, but it turned out that’s exactly what I want to do and, ironically, so has my brother.

“I think it’s amazing the coverage that the women’s game gets and I want to be a part of that growth and continue it. It keeps you close to football, but it’s also the adrenaline. You feel your heart pumping right before you go on live and that’s, I think, the closest thing I’ll ever get to playing 90 minutes of football in front of a sold-out crowd, so maybe I’m chasing the adrenaline.”

A no-nonsense defender who was somewhat of a throwback, Beattie wore her heart on her sleeve and played every game as if it may be her last.

One of her standout moments for Arsenal was her headed goal against Wolfsburg in the 2023 semi-final of the Champions League, which took the game to extra-time.

In a clip that went viral, Beattie collided with Wolfsburg’s Alexandra Popp, sending the German forward flying. Even though Arsenal went on to lose the game, Beattie recalled playing in front of a sold-out Emirates as one of her most memorable experiences. There was also her goal for Scotland at a 2019 World Cup match at Parc des Princes, where her father scored his first international try.

Cancer battle ‘brought me closer to team-mates’

A more poignant memory was Beattie’s goal against Everton in 2020, which came just days after she had opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis.

“Going through something physical like that, and health-related, it definitely changed a lot of parts about my career,” Beattie says.

“But at the same time it made me enjoy it even more because I’d gone through something so difficult. It brought me closer to team-mates, it made me appreciate my job even more, and it got me just working for something more than football, and I massively valued that.

“It was the worst and the hardest thing, but so many positives came off the back of it, with working with charities and connecting with communities that are going through really difficult things as well.”

Beattie, who continued to play whilst having treatment, did not let herself become defined by that experience. It was part of her story and one she bravely spoke about in public to help raise awareness.

“I’ll never regret speaking out about it and being as honest as I could. Still to this day, I really find it important to share stuff that’s not all roses and petals, the things that are really difficult, because nine out of 10 times people are going through really difficult things, whether it be health or physical-related.

“That was one moment in my life, but I will continue to talk about that forever because it was really important and it brought me closer to friends and family.

‘I’ve always wanted to be a good human being’

“It made me realise the bigger picture of football and that, as much as we work so hard for something, it’s not everything. What really matters is health and happiness and friends and family.”

It is rare for a player to be so well-liked throughout the football community, but Beattie has managed to connect with fans of clubs all over the world.

“It doesn’t really matter how good you are as a footballer, it matters how you are as a team-mate and it matters how you are as a friend. Hopefully, they still think I was decent!

“I’d rather someone, whether they played with me for a year or five years or [my] entire Scotland [career], they remember me for who I am. That means more to me.

“I’ve always wanted to be a good human being, and being a good team-mate has meant a lot to me. I want to try to continue that into the professional world.”