Raised in East Kilbride,[1] Lawton played for Celtic as a youth player but joined Partick Thistle aged 15, immediately competing 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.
[8][1][9] She quickly impressed with performances in the SWPL and the UEFA Women's Champions League.