Manchester United Women v Tottenham Hotspur Women match programme, Women's Super League, 13.10.24
BARCLAYS WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE • SUNDAY 13 OCTOBER 2024 •12.30PM
GRACE CLINTON INTERVIEW FROM THE SAME SONGSHEET THE OPPOSITION
REWIND TO... 2019
JUNIOR REDS
STATS AT THE BACK
ADDED-TIME QUIZ
MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB
Co-chairmen Joel Glazer, Avram Glazer
Directors Bryan Glazer, Kevin Glazer, Edward Glazer, Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, Michael Edelson, Sir Alex Ferguson, David Gill CBE, Omar Berrada, Sir Dave Brailsford, Jean-Claude Blanc Secretary Rebecca Britain Honorary president Martin Edwards
MATCH PROGRAMME TEAM
Editor Charlie Ghagan Contributors Zoe Hodges, Helen Rowe-Willcocks, Mikey Partington, Sean Mullan, Jamie Spencer, Matthew Brown
Photography Charlotte Tattersall, Ash Donelon, Getty, Alamy
Thanks to Ellie Decrop, John Shiel, Paul Davies
It’s been 11 days since we last played in Leigh, with our attentions today turning from League Cup to the Women’s Super League
SKINNER
THE BOSS LIKED WHAT HE SAW WHEN WE LAST LINED UP HERE IN LEIGH, AND HE HOPES TO SEE ANOTHER STRONG DISPLAY AS TOTTENHAM COME TO TOWN...
Good afternoon and welcome back to Leigh Sports Village.
I’m really pleased with how we have started the season.
The squad has settled in well together and we have shown some real strength in our opening games. We’ve had a strong start and I want us to carry that on as we welcome Tottenham Hotspur today.
I have been so pleased with our clinical performances in both the league and the League Cup. We have been mean in defence. We have been limiting chances against us and keeping those clean sheets, which is something that is going to be so important for us as we move forward in the season.
It was great to see players come into the League Cup starting XI and I was pleased with their professional and sharp performances. We have a well-balanced and strong squad and it is great to see the players thrive and challenge for starting places. The win against Liverpool showed that every player is ready to make the difference. Whether they start or come into matches, they are always ready to influence the game. The players did that in that first cup game and I want that to continue.
We welcome a Spurs side who come off the back of a narrow 3-2 defeat to Liverpool last
weekend but we know that we have to be ready for what they can throw at us. We were narrowly beaten in pre-season by Robert Vilahamn’s side and we have to be fully focused on their strengths but also make sure we are at maximum strength throughout the full 90 minutes.
Being back at Leigh for the first time this season last week felt fantastic. Leigh is our home and it felt like it had been so long since we were last here. It was a really positive start and here is to another strong performance today. As the season progresses we want to keep working on the energy we display on the pitch, we want to keep being professional, and we want to keep pushing ourselves forward to bigger and better things. As a squad, we want to be humble and hard working. These are the qualities I’m expecting from my players.
Sing loud and proud.
GAME numbers Run the
A STAT-BASED PREVIEW OF TODAY’S WSL
United arrive at Leigh Sports Village looking to record a fourth clean sheet in a row, following a strong start to the season that’s seen some staunch defensive work. We’ve yet to concede a goal in 2024/25, having registered shut-outs in the victories over West Ham, Everton and Liverpool, and know that doing the same again today will go a long way towards extending that winning streak. Keeping Spurs off the scoresheet will be easier said than done however, with no team finding the net more times in the WSL this season than Robert Vilahamn’s side heading into this weekend’s fixtures. Should we succeed, it’ll be the first time we’ve recorded four successive
clean sheets across all competitions since a run of seven between December ’21 and January ’22. That stretch included a 3-0 triumph over today’s opponents here in Leigh, with our third goal that day – scored by Leah Galton – set up by now-Tottenham striker Martha Thomas. Martha is part of an impressive attacking core for the north Londoners, that also includes England international Bethany England, long-serving forward Jessica Naz and Hayley Raso, who spent last season with Real Madrid.
Words: Mikey Partington
8
One player that was integral to Tottenham’s endeavours last term was our in-form no.8 Grace Clinton, who enjoyed an incredibly positive season-long loan with the Lilywhites. Grace played 27 games for today’s opponents and netted five goals during a campaign in which she was able to get regular experience of playing in the WSL. Grace’s first goal for the club, a stunning strike away to Brighton nearly a year ago to the day, was an early sign of the quality that she’d consistently show across a season that ended with her winning the PFA Women’s
Young Player of the Year award. ‘This past year was by far my happiest season of football,’ Clinton posted on Instagram as she said her farewells to Spurs. ‘Thank you for everything, Spurs.’ As our Player of the Month for September, the midfielder has brought that impressive form back to United and is now set for a reunion with her old side today, while you can hear from Grace herself starting on p26 –including why she loves that no.8 shirt!
History will mean little once the first whistle is sounded at 12.30pm for the 14th competitive meeting between the teams, but this is a fixture that United do have a particularly favourable record in. Despite Spurs coming out on top in this summer’s pre-season meeting at St George’s Park, the Reds have gone unbeaten in the 13 total competitive outings between the teams since 2018 (11 wins, two draws). Promoted from the Championship together a year later – turn to p14 to relive those second-tier tussles – the clubs have faced each other twice in each of the previous five WSL seasons, while our most recent meeting – May’s FA Cup final – was the first duel to take place outside of league competition. The 4-0 win in the Wembley sunshine will bring back fond memories among our players, staff and fans with Spurs the opponents again today, but the 2-2 draw in the league just under a month before that should serve as a reminder of the challenge that awaits this afternoon. Vilahamn’s side returned to the top half of the WSL last season and will be hoping to make an early statement in this campaign, with a maiden triumph over the Reds today.
The 2-2 draw in the WSL just under a month before the Cup final should serve as a reminder of the challenge that awaits this afternoon
Clinton isn’t the only player with links to both clubs today – there are five, in fact. While on loan at Spurs, Grace formed a close bond with our summer signing Celin Bizet, who made the switch between the teams last month. Spurs were Rachel Williams’s old employers when she joined us in 2022, one
year before Martha Thomas went in the opposite direction having represented us between ’21 and ’23, scoring eight goals. Thomas is one of two ex-Reds in the current Spurs ranks, alongside Amy James-Turner (formerly Turner), who made 67 appearances having been a member of our first-term squad, before departing for Orlando Pride in 2021.
United last went up against Spurs in a pre-season friendly at St George’s Park
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NEWELL’S CONTRACT
Academy Players’ Player of the Year rewarded for her recent development
Teenage defender Lucy Newell has signed her first professional contract with Manchester United.
The 18-year-old is yet another product of our club’s Academy system and follows in the footsteps of Alyssa Aherne and Keira Barry in recent years.
Talented defender Lucy progressed through the ranks at West Bromwich Albion, playing for their senior team at the age of just 16, and she was dual-registered with United throughout last season while competing at senior level for the Baggies in the third tier.
GRACE’S POTM RECOGNITION
Grace Clinton has been named as our Women’s Player of the Month for September, presented by Estee Lauder. The midfielder made a standout impact across our opening two games of 2024/25, with her performances recognised by supporters in the official fan vote. Our no.8 received a majority 55 per cent of all selections in the poll on ManUtd.com and the United app, to beat fellow nominees Leah Galton and Lisa Naalsund to the prize. Clinton has also been nominated for the PFA WSL Fans’ Player of the Month prize, where she faces competition from Drew Spence (Tottenham), Johanna Kaneryd and Guro
Such were Lucy’s solid displays for the Reds’ U21s last term, she won the Women’s Academy Players’ Player of the Year award for 2023/24, while she’s already been capped at international level, wearing the captain’s armband for England’s U19s. Lucy recently spent time with Marc Skinner’s senior side during our summer training camp in Marbella, having been handed the no.55 shirt for this season.
Everyone at the club is delighted to see the centre-back rewarded for her efforts and continue in her development at the club.
Reiten (both Chelsea), Frida Maanum (Arsenal) and Kiko Seike (Brighton). Keep an eye on club channels for news on that PFA vote while you can hear from Grace herself in our exclusive interview on p26.
CHANGE FOR VILLA VISIT
The latest round of TV picks has seen the visit of Aston Villa selected for broadcast on Sky Sports, with the Women’s Super League match on Sunday 10 November now kicking off at the later time of 6.45pm here at Leigh Sports Village. With the clocks going back at the end of October, it means we’ll be under the floodlights for the first time in the league this season as Robert de Pauw’s Villans come to town – if you haven’t yet got your ticket, head to tickets.manutd.com. As for our postponed visit to Chelsea in the WSL, an announcement was expected this week after we went to print, so check ManUtd.com or the United app.
Grace scored two in two games during September
The athletic defender has a bright future
FOR THE TOONE FAMILY...
Taken: Wednesday 2 October, Leigh Sports Village
What’s the story? The United players synchronise a goal celebration after Melvine Malard had given us the lead in our League Cup opener at home to Liverpool 11 days ago. The ‘T’ tribute was for Ella Toone and her family, following the sad passing of her dad Nick in September, three days before his 60th birthday. Ella missed this game for personal reasons, but she remained firmly in the thoughts of her team-mates on a victorious night under the LSV floodlights. Nick had been a regular matchgoer throughout Ella’s career, for club and country, and after the game manager Marc Skinner said: “I want to dedicate that to Nick Toone tonight. They are a huge, huge Manchester United fan family. She’s hugely important to us as a club, as a team. I want to send them all our love and to celebrate that. Hopefully he is celebrating that upstairs tonight with a drink, so that’s for him.” Ella herself put it best on Instagram, reacting to the celebration by simply stating: ‘MY TEAM ❤️’.
UNITED TO DELIVER EXCELLENCE
MLT
OUR SKIPPER SALUTES
A TRIO OF REDS WHO ARE REALLY FINDING THEIR FEET, WITH EVERYONE UP FOR THE CHALLENGE OF MAKING THE STARTING XI...
Welcome back everyone to our first league game of the season here at LSV. We’ve had a strong start with wins at Old Trafford, Everton and here in the League Cup, which we are delighted with.
The League Cup game here last week against Liverpool was a strong performance and it was great to see Celin Bizet and Simi Awujo get their first starts. They bring such quality to our team individually and they’ve slotted perfectly into the squad. Along with the rest of our summer signings, we feel they are just what we need to see United progress and add more trophies to our cabinet.
Seeing Hinata Miyazawa win Player of the Match for that Liverpool game was fantastic also. I thought she was outstanding. Hini is such a great person as well as a top player, and when she is on the pitch, she links the whole team together. She leads by example on the press and on the ball, and every single time she plays, she’s done such a good job. All the players love her, and
she is really learning English now so she can communicate so much better.
The competition for places in the starting XI this season is high and everyone is really showing their strengths and relishing that challenge. It’s been a great start to the season. Three wins, three clean sheets – you cannot get much better than that, especially as a defender! Keeping clean sheets is so important to us all, and we want to keep that going today against Spurs, as well as picking up another three WSL points.
Maya recognises the role Miyazawa can play in linking play across the pitch
THE SPARRING PARTNERS IN THE SECOND TIER...
WITH UNITED AND SPURS PUSHING EACH OTHER ON IN THE OPENING WEEKS OF OUR CHAMPIONSHIP CAMPAIGN, THE TWO TITLE CONTENDERS FINALLY WENT HEAD-TO-HEAD
Words: Charlie Ghagan
While there was certainly no complacency inside the United Women camp ahead of the Reds’ inaugural campaign of 2018/19, such was our immediate status as the sole professional team in the second tier, it was no surprise to see Casey Stoney’s fledgling side installed as odds-on favourites to take the Championship crown.
A lot has changed at that level since then, of course, with far more investment and professionalism across the division, but for many the burning question when the newly formed Championship kicked off in early September 2018 was simply this: ‘Can anyone stop Manchester United?’
With Doncaster and Brighton finishing in the second-tier’s top spots in 2017/18 – the Seagulls would move up to the WSL, while Donny Belles would sadly drop down a division for financial reasons – and with no relegation from the WSL due to the league’s restructure, logic dictated it would be the sides to have finished third and fourth who would compete with United at the top.
That was Millwall and Durham, who were pipped to second place in 2017/18 by Brighton, by one and two points respectively. Further down the table in seventh
place, only three spots above bottom side Watford, sat Karen Hills’s Tottenham. The north Londoners may have lost more than they won that season, finishing it with a negative goal difference, but they were showing signs of a team to watch out for in 2018/19.
After all, that 2017/18 term had been their first at this level – an oscillating campaign that saw them go unbeaten in five near the start, then lose seven on the spin, before ending the season in a positive trajectory, hinting at better things to come.
Free-scoring forward Bianca Baptiste, as well as left-back Ashleigh Neville (Spurs’ Player of the Year for 2017/18) had paticularly caught the eye, while the form of Coral Jade-Haines – on loan from Birmingham –in midfield had earned her a call-up to England’s U23s.
So while the Lilywhites very much fell into the category of ‘ones to watch’ when the new second-tier term got under way – complete with its rebranding from WSL 2 to Championship – few would have predicted Hills’s side to make the start they did, to the point that when they met United for the first time in early November, it was Stoney’s Reds – despite taking 13 points from five games – looking up the table to leaders Tottenham. This was partly due to our own game with
“I’ve been keeping an eye on Spurs and been really impressed... this is our biggest match of the season” – ALEX GREENWOOD
Leicester City the previous weekend being postponed, out of respect to the tragic helicopter crash that killed five people, including Leicester owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the previous day. On the same weekend a late penalty from Spurs’s 20-year-old striker Rianna Dean earned her side a narrow 2-1 comeback win over Aston Villa, extending their perfect start to six wins from six games and leaving them as the only team in either division to have won every match.
What’s more, Dean sat atop the Championship scoring charts, with eight goals – two clear of our own Jess Sigsworth – while Spurs’ no.7 Sarah Wiltshire was leading the way with POTM nominations on account of
Toone leads the charge as United seek to close the gap at the top of the Championship table
The line-ups
Leigh Sports Village, 04.11.18
United 4
(James 10, Sigsworth 18, 41, Devlin 80)
Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Addison 82)
United: Chamberlain; Harris, A Turner, M Turner, Greenwood (c); Palmer, Zelem, Toone; Hanson, Sigsworth, James. Substitutes: Galton for Hanson 32, Green for Palmer 45, Devlin for James 71
Tottenham: Morgan; Green, McLean, Hector, Wiltshire; Dean, Schillaci (c), Wynne; Addison, Naz, Neville. Substitutes: Baptise for Wiltshire 52, Leon for Wynne 74, Haines for Naz 79
Referee: Lucy Oliver
Attendance: 2,367
her creative attacking play just behind Dean. Alex Greenwood wasn’t the only one impressed by Spurs, as our then-captain noted in her programme column for the visit of the Londoners: ‘I’ve been keeping an eye on Spurs’s results and been really impressed,’ she wrote. ‘They are a team who perhaps weren’t expected to be up there challenging for promotion but the start they have had has been brilliant, and this is our biggest match of the season so far.’
ahead of the midday kick-off. Although some way short of the attendance for our first-ever game in Leigh, against Reading in the League Cup three months earlier, it was a division-high at the time, with many neutrals intrigued as to how both teams would handle their biggest test yet.
As it transpired, those in the home dressing room would display every bit of their professionalism, from the first minute to the last, with 17-year-old attacking tyro Lauren James setting the tone. It followed some excellent work from Sigsworth, as she turned brilliantly in her own half before driving forwards to open up space for James on the edge of the area. There, some deft footwork took Lauren past two opponents before she picked her spot beyond Spurs keeper Chloe Morgan with 10 minutes on the clock. James returned the favour eight minutes later, turning provider for top scorer Sigsworth to tap in her low cross from the left: 2-0.
Returning the praise was another left-back, with Spurs’s Ashleigh Neville well aware of the challenge that lay ahead in Leigh, but she was also conscious of not showing the hosts too much respect. “We have to go there [to United] and show what we’re about,” she said in the build-up to the trip north. “We’re six games unbeaten at the start of the season, so it’s not a bad run.”
quick out the blocks
So on a chilly Sunday morning in early November, a total of 2,367 fans clicked their way through the LSV turnstiles FIRST-SEASON
Relentless in applying pressure and clinical in the opposition box, United had a third goal to celebrate before the break. Leah Galton – on for the injured Kirsty Hanson just after the half hour mark – made a swift impact, winning a free-kick in a dangerous position on the left. Katie Zelem’s pinpoint delivery found Sigsworth at the back post to nod in her second of the game – a goal that delighted manager Stoney, after she’d set her side the challenge of scoring from a set-piece. Three-up at the break, the second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with the Reds chasing every ball from the outset and enjoying sustained periods of possession. Ella Toone and Mollie Green were denied from long range and Galton had an effort cleared off the line, before Charlie Devlin –on for James – scored her first goal for the club.
There would be consolation for Spurs, with United’s impressive league clean-sheet record finally coming to an end after 82 minutes, as their own teenage forward Angela Addison headed in from a corner.
It was a chastening defeat for the visitors, and the biggest indicator yet of United’s status as a WSL side in waiting. As Suzy Wrack of The Guardian summarised: ‘Given Tottenham’s perfect start to the season, they should have provided United with their biggest test so far. Yet from the first whistle the gulf in class showed. Looking stronger, fitter and technically crisp, United brushed aside their nearest rivals. On this performance, the best the rest can hope for is the second promotion spot.’
v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR LADIES
Hills was looking to accentuate the positives in her post-match interview, noting: “If we look at the second half, the result was 1-1 – I thought our girls came out [after the break] with fighting spirit and definitely took the game to them.”
Nevertheless, the Spurs boss could have been excused for realigning her team’s ambitions from first to second place that day, as she and her charges returned to London having been overpowered by a side blessed with quality and confidence in equal measure. “Credit to them, they were clinical in front of goal and took their chances well,” she conceded. “They’re a very good side.”
‘must-win’ away game
Even after this emphatic win, Stoney’s United remained two points behind Spurs with a game in hand, but how the Reds turned the screw in the games leading up to the teams’ second meeting, at Cheshunt Stadium in Hertfordshire, in late March 2019. By then, United were within touching point of promotion, but Spurs were leading the way beneath us with impressive consistency, with an overall record that included 13 wins from 16 league games.
“Credit to United, they were clinical and took their chances well”
– KAREN HILLS
Indeed, a Spurs win that day would have put them back on top (albeit having still played a game more).
No wonder Stoney billed it up as a “must-win” match.
While the final score was even more weighted in our favour than the LSV meeting – 5-1 – this was a tighter contest than the November game in Leigh, with set-pieces causing a few problems for the Reds’ rearguard, and Tottenham’s Renee Hector going painfully close to making it 2-2 just before half-time after Jenna Schillaci had responded to a Zelem double.
Emboldened by going 3-1 up just after the restart through Green, United took full control as Hills’s Spurs lost momentum, with Sigsworth – sporting a thick black headband following an in-game knock – nodding in a fourth, and Galton wrapping things up with a fifth.
As with our first meeting, though, Spurs refused to let such a one-sided result affect their belief or form in the games ahead, and by the time the final curtain came down on the Championship campaign, they sat comfortably in that second promotion spot, five points ahead of Charlton in third, and nine behind Stoney’s champions.
Both United and Spurs can be so proud of what they achieved that season, and six terms on we’ve retained that unique bit of history, with the Lilywhites being the only side we’ve met in every league campaign in our history since United Women were reformed. Our FA Cup final win just five months ago might be the game against Tottenham which the footballing world remembers best when we look back on this important era in the women’s game in years to come, but for different reasons our two second-tier meetings, in front of vastly smaller crowds than Wembley, here in Leigh and in Cheshunt, are equally special. ●
Taking charge of proceedings back down in Cheshunt for the reverse fixture
PLAY WITH STYLE
WHAT IS STYLE?
It’s Control. Creativity. And being prepared to cross that line. It’s the freedom to do your thing and play to your own whistle. It’s the ‘I’ in Individuality and the ‘You’ in UNITED.
www.remington.co.uk/manutd
MES SAGES
Hello to Steve Hargreaves and daughter Emily, who are fundraising for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Emily was born with the condition, and with this year being the Trust’s 60th year, Emily is to swim 60 lengths in a single day, while Steve is entering the 15km Ultimate Tough Mudder. If you’d like to support them, search for ‘Emily and Steve Cystic Fibrosis Trust’ at justgiving.com. Good luck!
Esme has a 17th birthday to celebrate today –a Leah Galton goal would be the ideal gift for her.
All the very best to birthday girl Leia, whose favourite players are Ella
and
Amelia turns 14 today – what better way to celebrate than here cheering on the Reds! She’s here with her dad Richard.
Hello to Olivia, who is turning 16. We love the sunglasses!
Happy ninth birthday to Ava, a massive Ella Toone fan who is here at the game today.
Happy 17th birthday, Lauren – lots of love, Dad and Sarah.
Toone
Leah Galton.
Helping our young people tell their stories.
FOLLOW ALONG
ENGAGE ● INSPIRE ● UNITE
CYBER CELEBRATION
Girls take inspiration from industry professionals as they look to the future
More than 250 girls from Manchester United Foundation’s partner-school network descended on Old Trafford recently to gain an insight into opportunities for females in cyber and tech industries.
The mass event welcomed pupils from more than 30 schools on an action-packed day that involved 15 unique workshops. The young people had the opportunity to develop skills in areas including coding, programming and virtual reality, to name just a few.
Facilitated by IN4 Group – the North West Delivery Partner for the National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst Schools and Colleges programme – and their partners, Foundation participants gained insight from a number of industry professionals on a special day at Old Trafford – made all the better by a welcome message from United Women’s Hayley Ladd.
Niccola Massey, the Foundation’s life skills manager, said: “It’s been amazing to see hundreds of girls all in one room being inspired by industry professionals in cyber and tech subjects.
“The young people have had the opportunity to take part in activities they might otherwise have not had the chance to in their traditional school lessons, which will only have
opened their minds as to what they are able to achieve in the future.”
Joan, 12, from The East Manchester Academy, said: “It’s really nice because I got to have this feeling of how much Manchester United is doing for Manchester in general. I’ve been introduced to better opportunities in computing and technology. At school, we learn some of the basic facts, but here
I got to learn things step-by-step, which was really nice.”
Meanwhile, Hajra, 12, from Kingsway Park High School, said: “We’ve been doing many activities around cyber security, and we learned it’s not just about being safe online, but about technology, and what jobs are available in this field. Now I feel like there are more opportunities for me; I don’t feel limited. That’s what I really liked about this event.”
Alex, 12, from Waterhead Academy, added: “This was about having fun, team-work and communication. I’m a United fan and it was really cool to come and see everything for the first time.”
Visit mufoundation.org for more
Pupils from different schools got together for the fascinating Old Trafford event
2024/25 POSTER JAYDE RIVIERE
#8 Grace Clinton
OUR NO.8 HAS BEEN FEELING THE LOVE THIS SEASON, AND TODAY’S SET TO BE ANOTHER BIG DAY FOR THE 21-YEAR-OLD AS SHE GOES UP AGAINST SOME
FAMILIAR FACES.
FROM STARTLED
CELEBRATIONS, TO CITY BREAKS TO SHIRT NUMBERS, HERE GRACE SHARES ALL...
FACTFILE
Grace, you’ve hit the ground running since returning to United. We’re speaking to you ahead of a quiet weekend – it must have been a bit frustrating for you all to see the Chelsea game called off… Yeah. It was very frustrating. You know, as footballers, we just want to play all the time. If we could, I think we’d always have three-game weeks. So, yeah, it’s a bit disappointing. I was really looking forward to it personally, but it does give us more time to prep for the next game. So, it’s not always the worst thing after a busy week.
You joined the club two years ago, but it’s been a long wait for your debut with those two loan spells in between. Was it worth the wait when you finally walked out with your United team-mates against West Ham last month? One hundred per cent. Getting a goal and to actually make my debut at Old Trafford, it was definitely worth waiting for. I think being out on loan, I’ve learned so much, and I’ve really enjoyed my time out, so I think it’s all been good timing.
You scored not just on your United debut but at Old Trafford as well. You looked like you couldn’t quite believe it! Tell us what was going through your mind when you saw that ball hit the back of the net... I don’t really know... sometimes I just think like that, when I score, sometimes I don’t believe that I’ve scored! It’s just a weird feeling. Obviously, you think, ‘am I offside?’ I had a lot of space in that moment. Then Teri [Elisabeth Terland] reacted. I couldn’t really believe it but when all the girls were celebrating, that’s when I realised.
Purely from a football point of view, which of your two goals this season was the best, in your opinion?
Interview: Zoe Hodges
“My time in Bristol was massive for my career, to turn me from a baby into a woman. I learned a lot”
I think non-emotional wise, just looking at skill and stuff, I’d say probably my Everton goal is better because I was a bit calmer, I had to do more to score. I’d say emotionally, I think my debut one. So, on a personal level, the West Ham goal was bigger for me, because obviously it had a lot of things attached to it, like making my debut for United.
You’ve spoken in an interview previously about your friendship with Maya Le Tissier. Now she’s your club captain, how has she helped you and the new players adapt to life at Manchester United?
Maya joined at the same time as me, but she’s just settled in so well, and she’s just a big character within the group. I think everyone respects her. She’s a leader on and off the pitch for me, you know. She leads by example in her work ethic on the pitch and then off the pitch, she’s just clear in her communication. She’s someone that people can go to with anything, and she’ll help them. So, I think she’s a really good leader for us to have.
You spent time on loan at Bristol City in your first season at United, helping them win promotion to the WSL in 2022/23. How was that experience playing in a lower league different to the top division – and you must have enjoyed capping that season off with a trophy as well?
I think it’s important for any young player to go and do that. The WSL is a big step for young players, and it’s fast tempo. I think just going to the Championship and playing every week, really getting yourself fit, getting yourself strong – because that league is just as competitive, and you don’t know if you’re going to win every week, like it is really competitive between all the teams! So, for me, it was massive for my career to sort of turn from a baby into a little bit of a woman. And yeah, I learned a lot from that spell and winning the league was a bit crazy as well, because it was a title race between us and another team [Birmingham City]. So, there was a lot of learning for me to take from Bristol. I really enjoyed it.
Teri lets a stunned Grace know the good news against West Ham!
Grace impressed hugely across 27 games for today’s visitors last term
You then had a successful loan spell with our latest opponents Tottenham last season. How valuable was your time there to your development? It was crucial, as it was my first proper year in the WSL. They really helped me and supported me, and they gave me a lot of freedom, and they gave me a lot of encouragement to be me and play how I wanted to play. It allowed me to become the player I’m starting to become now. I really respect and appreciate Tottenham for that part of my journey.
This is the first time we’ve faced Spurs in a competitive game since the FA Cup final, of course. It must have been a strange sensation for you watching that... It was very difficult for me. I think there was a massive conflict of interest. Obviously the team that I’d fought so hard for all season to get there... all I want to do is play and win, because I’m a competitive person! At that moment in time, I want to get my hands on that cup. But then obviously it’s my club that I’ve been at for two years, and all my friends and people that I know are on the other team. So, it was a really weird feeling for me to deal with on the day and leading into it, to be honest.
You’re clearly going to come face-to-face with a lot of your former Spurs team-mates from last season in our latest game – what’s that going to be like for you? It’s really exciting. I think Tottenham are a decent side, they’re doing well so far. So, it’s really exciting to test ourselves against a good side. It’s going to be nice seeing my friends, hopefully I’ll have a bit of an advantage knowing how they play and stuff! But, it’s going to be really nice and I’m really looking forward to it. This game is a good test for us, and we’ll be up for it.
Last season also saw you get your first call-up for England, and you scored on what appeared to be a dream debut [against Austria in February]. What did that mean to you? With Euro 2025 on the horizon, do you have your sights set on being a part of that squad? Scoring on my debut was, again, just amazing. It couldn’t have gone any better for me. I think it’s the biggest honour to play for England and so when I got the call-up, and when I knew I was starting, it was just such a surreal moment. You’re playing with people that you’ve watched win the last Euros, and you’ve watched for such a long time, and now you’re playing alongside them. So yeah, it makes you feel really amazing. Obviously you want to play every game that you can for England, and you want to be going to every camp. So, I always have big ambitions to keep getting selected.
We remember reading that you had quite a typically English response to getting that first call-up from Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman... Yeah, I was quite surprised! It was very early on last season, and I just didn’t expect it, and then I didn’t know it was her that was ringing. Once she told me, and she spoke to me for a bit, I was like, right... I think I need a cup of tea now! I was taken aback by it.
You were born in Liverpool, you’ve recently lived in London, and now you’re back in Manchester. What’s your favourite thing about Manchester? And if you had to recommend a weekend city break to someone, which of the three cities above would you go for? Ooh, good question! In Manchester, my favourite thing to do is go for coffee and brunch. It’s such a quirky city and there’s so many places that you can go. If I was to tell someone to go for a weekend away, I think London’s too big because it’s just really hard to get around – you need to know where you’re going! So, I wouldn’t say London. I could say Liverpool but there’s not enough to do, so I’d say
The midfielder’s strength, skill and shooting ability was evident against Everton in our last WSL outing
“It’s not just goals and assists I play for. I love tackling and winning the ball back... that’s why I love the no.8!”
Manchester. There’s loads to do, it’s not as busy as London, and you can really get about and have nice food and coffee.
That’s what we like to hear! You’re again wearing the no.8 shirt this season, as you did for Spurs. Is that the number that best sums up your role on the pitch, do you think? And is there a legendary no.8 you associate it with?
Yes, for me personally I’d say that’s how I love to play. It’s
not just attacking and goals and assists that I play for. I love tackling people and winning the ball back for the team and recovering back as well. So that’s why I love the no.8. One of the greatest for me with that number is [Andres] Iniesta.
Away from football, what are your preferred ways to switch off from the game and get some headspace?
I spend a lot of time with my bestie Celin [Bizet], we do a lot of things together. Then I love to go for coffee and read, and I love cooking too.
And finally, what are your hopes for this season with United, individually and as a team?
This is a big club, and we have big expectations. So, we want to win every game, we’re very competitive. We’re always looking to challenge for the league and cups, because I think that’s the expectation of a Man United team. Then, personally, I’d love to go and win Young Player [PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year award] again and just keep going to England and keep performing for the team so that we keep winning every game. ●
On the training ground with good mate Celin
Tag-teaming with Tooney on England duty in April this year
MANCHESTER UNITED
FOR MATT TAYLOR AND HIS DAUGHTER ELLA (LEFT), NOTHING BEATS A NOISY 90 MINUTES ON LSV’S NORTH STAND, WHERE THEY SING UP TO SALUTE OUR SKIPPER’S SORCERY AT THE BACK...
LE TISSIER IS MAGIC , SHE WEARS A MAGIC HAT; AND
WHEN SHE SAW LEIGH SPORTS VILLAGE, SHE SAID
‘I FANCY THAT’ ;
SHE DIDN’T SIGN FOR ARSENAL, OR CITY OR CHELSEA; SHE SIGNED FOR MAN UTD ’COS WE’RE GONNA WIN THE LEAGUE!
Tell us why this is your favourite chant, Matt... It just sums Maya up – she’s magic, isn’t she! Me and my daughter Ella are chuffed she’s captain as she has such leadership qualities. I think she’ll be England captain before we know it. Also, I’m the wrong side of 35, and this chant just reminds me of the Roy Keane version from when I was a kid.
We can think of a couple more who’ve had this chant! But can you name the song it’s based on – and the year it was no.1 in the UK charts?
It’s My Old Man’s a Dustman, I know that. As for the year, no chance! I’ll take a guess... early ’60s?
It’s 1960, well done! Were you involved in the lyrics for Maya’s adaptation? Oh no. I’m that busy all week long – I’m a school deputy head – that I don’t really have the time, but I love getting chants going at the game. And when people already know the tune – like this one – it’s so much easier to latch on to.
I am! It’s a great release at the weekend after a busy week in school.
Tell us more about your usual LSV matchday... Well, Ella is 10, and we started following United Women after England’s Euros win. My younger daughter Lola wasn’t so into it, to be honest, but Ella and I love it! We’re season ticket holders in the North Stand, and we went to every home game last season, and Wembley. Ella absolutely loves it, and we’ve made some great new friends.
Ah, that’s nice to hear. Let’s consider the lyrics for a moment: if Maya was actually required to wear a magic hat, what would you recommend for her: a standard magician’s top hat (useful for carrying a rabbit or two, perhaps) or a pointier hat, like a wizard wears?
Considering your job we’re guessing you’re comfortable raising your voice?
Oh, the wizard’s one, I think. It might be a bit harder to head a football with but she’d have more special powers – she could create force field at the back, so no one gets past.
Can’t argue with that. Loved the chat, Matt!
Ella with magic Maya – scan here for MUWSC’s songbook...
Today’s visitors:
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
About our opponents...
Nickname: Spurs, Lilywhites
Founded: 1985 (as Broxbourne Ladies)
Primary stadium: Gaughan Group Stadium (Brisbane Road); 9,271 capacity)
Last season: WSL 6th, FA Cup runners-up, League Cup quarter-finals
Top scorer last season (all competitions): Martha Thomas (10)
Best league season: WSL, 5th (2021/22)
Tottenham suffered a first defeat of the new season in their previous outing, stung by a stoppage-time penalty from Liverpool’s Marie Hobinger after Robert Vilahamn’s Lilywhites had twice come from behind. The 3-2 defeat on home soil would have hurt, coming on the back of such an encouraging start to 2024/25.
Spurs began it with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace, but needed their own late goal – from Bethany England in the 96th minute – to snatch a useful 2-2 draw away at Aston Villa. Jessica Naz was the 86th-minute match-winner in Spurs’s opening League Cup victory over Charlton, before the late goals continued against Liverpool.
Against Matt Beard’s Merseysiders, Clare Hunt’s heavily deflected finish on 83 minutes looked to have secured Spurs at least another point. They even had a golden chance to win it, with England lashing wide from inside the six-yard box only moments before Ashleigh Neville conceded the
last-gasp penalty for a perceived nudge in the back of Liverpool’s Sophie Roman Haug.
In the build-up to that game, boss Vilahamn had spoken about the need for better “game management” from his team. But the Swede noted afterwards that, when it got to 2-2, Spurs were “not going to stand back and protect the one point”. Both the fans in the home stands and the
RECORD V THE REDS
Played: 13
Tottenham wins: 0
United wins: 11
Draws: 2
Tottenham goals: 7
United goals: 39
LAST LINE-UP:
v LIVERPOOL (HOME), WSL, 06.10.24
SPENCER SPENCE NAZ
THOMAS
SUBS USED: ENGLAND, VINBERG
club’s core values would not let them do that and they were clearly determined to chase the win.
Our visitors have continued to evolve under Vilahamn coming into this season. New signing Maite Oroz brings a technical focus to midfield that would be expected from an ex-Real Madrid player. In wide areas, the introduction of Hayley Raso has added even more pace, while Naz has consistently started, in a change from last term.
The vastly experienced England has so far filled a different kind of role, impacting games off the bench, with Martha Thomas favoured through the middle. In defence, Molly Bartrip has a new centre-back partner in Australian international Hunt, signed from PSG in August. Vilahamn hopes an improved second half against Liverpool bodes well for today. “We took the fight to them, found ways to penetrate, to score goals and create chances. That’s what we need against United,” he said.
This is Robert Vilahamn’s second season in charge of Spurs following his 2023 appointment. The former BK Hacken coach has earned widespread praise for his impact since then, guiding the club back into the top half of the WSL last season, which delivered Tottenham’s first ever win over Arsenal, and to Wembley for the first time ever, facing United in May’s FA Cup final.
HEAD COACH SPANISH STAR
Although a different type of player, Maite Oroz has effectively taken the midfield place vacated by Grace Clinton. The Spaniard was previously a key figure at Real Madrid, joining Los Blancos in 2020 and gaining considerable Champions League experience. By her own admission, she is an “all-rounder” who likes to be on the ball and “link the play”.
ON THE WING
Experienced winger
Hayley Raso is back in the WSL to turn out for a third different club after spells at Everton and Manchester City between 2020 and 2023. She had spent her early career in the United States and her native Australia, but took up a different challenge last summer with Real Madrid. The 30-year-old arrived at Spurs at the start of September and encouraged Oroz to follow.
Left: Tottenham peg back Liverpool in the 83rd minute of their WSL meeting in London last Sunday, but there would be a late sting in the tail for Vilahamn’s side
Rewind to...
31 MARCH 2019 ● CHESHUNT STADIUM
We’ve covered off our 2018/19 Championship meetings with Spurs earlier in the programme, so we won’t repeat ourselves here, but the second of those fixtures was a triumphant day for fan photos as much as the football!
Club photographer Ash Donelon – a man who always looks to capture the essence of matchday with his brilliant crowd shots – was on MUW duty that Sunday, with the many Reds among the crowd of 1,607 thankfully having plenty to shout about when Ash stepped up and asked them for a snap or two (or more like 20 by the looks of it!)
This was still early days for our fan base, of course, with matchday regulars beginning to embrace the warmth of the ‘Barmy Army’ by joining them in the stands – and sometimes along the touchline – from Leigh to Lewes. Before long, that ever-growing group of fans would become the official Manchester United Women Supporters’ Club (MUWSC), with many of the faces above still a regular presence at games.
Post-match player chats might be more of a challenge these days due to the continued growth in crowds, but those representing United on the pitch feel that connection with those proudly cheering them on as strongly as ever.
The two Turners show their appreciation after a 5-1 win...
SPURS SCORERS
CAN YOU FIND THE LAST EIGHT REDS TO BAG A LEAGUE GOAL AGAINST TOTTENHAM?
FINAL QUEENS
Stats AT THE BACK
8
A CLOSER LOOK...
WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE preview
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR ELSEWHERE IN ENGLAND’S TOP TIER...
The WSL is back to full strength this weekend, with all 12 teams in action across a six-game slate that started with a blockbuster contest on Saturday. It saw champions Chelsea resume their defence of the title, after last Sunday’s scheduled meeting with United was postponed due to fixture congestion, with a short trip to London rivals Arsenal.
The early-afternoon kick-off at the Emirates also saw both teams pick up domestic matters again, following their respective midweek involvements in the Champions League, and provided an ideal precursor to what is a busy Sunday across England’s top flight.
Everton have no goals, but will be encouraged by their draw at Arsenal
ACROSS THE WSL
United facing Spurs here in Leigh is the earliest of five matches, with three more getting under way at 2pm. One of those is at the VBS Community Stadium (Gander Green Lane) in Sutton, south London, where the growing rivalry between Crystal Palace and Brighton takes to the WSL stage for the first time, after Palace’s maiden promotion to the top flight.
The Eagles recorded a historic first WSL win last time out, when Annabel Blanchard’s double was enough to down Leicester, but their south-coast opponents will also be buoyed having won two of their opening three outings in the competition.
Brighton have netted four goals in victories over Everton and, most recently, Aston Villa already this campaign, with ex-Red Nikita Parris among the scorers in the latter.
Elsewhere, the two other clashes at the same time involve each of the four sides that will be looking to record a first WSL win of 2024/25. Everton are the only team in the WSL yet to find the net but will be encouraged before hosting West Ham by a resilient display in a 0-0 draw at Arsenal last Sunday, which got the Toffees up and running in the points column.
The Hammers, meanwhile, are making their third trip to the North West already this season (unlike their men’s team, who haven’t yet left London in the league!) and Rehanne Skinner’s side will be hoping to take the learnings from defeats away to both Manchester clubs, either side of earning a point at home to Liverpool, to the blue half of Merseyside this afternoon.
Aston Villa and Leicester are only ahead of Everton and West Ham on goal difference, meaning a maiden league triumph is also up for grabs in the Midlands derby at Villa Park.
The division’s final offering of the day comes from St Helens, where Manchester City, who battled Barcelona as WSL leaders in Wednesday’s Champions League tie, visit Liverpool’s Totally Wicked Stadium (Langtree Park) at 3pm.
Can Blanchard fire Palace to another win today, this time against a big club rival?
FIXTURES + RESULTS
Bizet Miyazawa Malard 1
Naalsund Clinton
ADDED-TIME QUIZ
Aside from Martha Thomas, who is the only other ‘Martha’ to make a competitive appearance for United?
Name the two Scotland internationals who both got their first WSL goals for the Reds in a 3-0 win at Tottenham in October 2019.
And which squad number did Amy wear during her time with the Reds?
Which current Red has previously played under Spurs manager Robert Vilahamn at BK Hacken?
8.
2. 1. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 9. 10.
In which year did Spurs defender Amy James-Turner (previously known as Amy Turner) leave United?
Aside from against Spurs last season, and v Reading on her debut, against which other side has Maya Le Tissier scored for United, in a 1-1 draw in October 2023?
Who claimed a brace of assists against today’s opponents in last season’s Women’s FA Cup final?
True or false: Grace Clinton also scored against West Ham and Everton in the WSL last season for Spurs, having done so for United in the current campaign.
Which former Red has already found the net v Spurs in the WSL this season, doing so for Aston Villa on matchday two?
United are unbeaten in 13 meetings with Spurs – against which side have we played the second-most number of games without ever suffering defeat, doing so 11 times?
Jane
ANSWERS: 1. Martha Harris; 2. Kirsty Hanson
and
Ross; 3. 2021; 4. 4; 5. Anna Sandberg; 6. Leicester City; 7. Lisa Naalsund; 8. True; 9. Adriana Leon; 10. Aston Villa
