Lucy Staniforth (Aston Villa)
The journeywoman of the WSL – Lucy Staniforth has represented seven teams in the league, the most of any player. This includes Liverpool, Man Utd and most recently, Aston Villa.
She has seen plenty of change over her 17 years as a player, from the success of North East academies – she came through at Sunderland – through to the wild success of women’s football both domestically and internationally.
Having played alongside Stan, I know the qualities she brings both as a player and a person. She has been a valued part of the group during her time at Villa and while she will be greatly missed around the club, we wish her all the very best for the future.
Staniforth won the WSL title with Liverpool in 2014, and was twice a runner-up in the FA Cup with Sunderland and the Bristol Academy.
But such is the life of a female football, back-to-back ACL injuries in 2014, one occurring in each knee, saw her miss almost three years of football.
However, she continued to play for almost ten years after, and earned her first senior England call-up in 2018. She scored on her debut against Kazakhstan in September of that year, and represented the Lionesses at two World Cups, earning a runners-up medal in 2023.
Staniforth has said she is “at ease” with her decision to retire, and can reflect on the ups and downs that have shaped her career.
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