by Ava-Marianne Elliott (23/11/23)
Above: Arsenal’s Australian midfield maestro Kyra Cooney-Cross. Photo: Mariella Prew for Impetus.
Young players play integral roles in the WSL, and so far, this season we have seen some praiseworthy performances from the next generation of players that are bound to become some of the best in the world.
From North London to Merseyside, WSL sides have been making critical investments in the form of recruiting young players who solidify the future of their club. Alongside seeing managers fill their squads with players who are full of experience across club and international stages, there are certain starlets that have been rising through the ranks, and have this season landed themselves in the competitive WSL. As the league grows we have seen players from 36 different nations make the move to represent WSL clubs, and thriving alongside them English talent from the clubs academy systems.
We have seen performances worthy of high praise and recognition from the younger players that display exactly why they are an asset to have in a match-day squad. In this article, we review eight Women’s Super League players 21 or under who have hit the ground running to start the season off on the right foot, showcasing an array of undeniable talent, skill, and maturity across their efforts on the pitch.
Courtney Nevin
Club: Leicester City.
Age: 21.
After what was a very successful loan spell last season, Australia’s Courtney Nevin made the permanent move to the WSL to remain with the Leicester City team, transferring from her previous team Hammarby in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan. Nevin’s defensive impact from her position in the back line was a huge part in keeping the Foxes from facing relegation to the Championship, and the improvement of the side this season has begun to shine through.
Despite facing some of the top teams in their first seven fixtures, Nevin has been well up to the task. She is a big presence on the pitch for her team and has put in shift after shift, particularly working well to keep the Manchester United forwards at bay.
Her minutes this season sits at a total of 610, with a total of 42 recoveries made and a passing accuracy of 72.4%. In Leicester’s fixture against Bristol City, the side won by four goals to Bristol City’s two, and Nevin had a wide-scale impact. She created two chances for her team with a 79% passing accuracy, also making 16 passes into the final third to push Leicester’s play forwards.
Khiara Keating
Club: Manchester City.
Age: 19.
At just 19 years old, Keating is Manchester City’s first-choice goalkeeper so far this season, and she has proven so far her ability and what she can bring to her side. Keating is one of City’s players that came up through their academy system, and for such a young player in a role that holds a lot of pressure, she has shown that she is capable of maintaining a calm demeanour when on the pitch.
One of Keating’s most impressive displays in goal this season was against Chelsea, where City went down to nine players after two red cards. With the defensive line in front of her left slightly compromised, she stepped up to help keep her side in the game, and her efforts saw Chelsea being able to grasp just one goal in the last minutes of injury time.
During the seven matches she’s started this season, Keating has kept three clean sheets and conceded just five goals, alongside saving one penalty. Her performances this season haven’t gone unrecognised, as during the October international break, she earned her first senior England call-up from Sarina Wiegman and has again received another for this upcoming December camp.
Mia Enderby
Club: Liverpool.
Age: 18.
Mia Enderby at just 18 years old, is one of the youngest players that is taking flight in the WSL. After signing last summer, she has made an appearance in six matches and has bagged one assist in a total of just 126 minutes. The product of Sheffield United’s academy had been on the radar of WSL teams long before her signing to Liverpool with her direct approach and skill in front of goal.
Despite starting just once for the side in the WSL across the fixtures played so far, Enderby scored her first goal for the club against Manchester City during the Continental Cup. The side ended up suffering a tough 3-4 loss, however, their young winger showed excellence when she flicked the ball around defender Steph Houghton, collected the ball back at her feet, and neatly tucked a shot away in the net.
With more opportunities to come for her, she is steadily building up confidence and developing as a player for the Liverpool team, which is in an excellent place for the start of what could be an exciting career.
Grace Clinton
Club: Manchester United (currently on loan to Tottenham Hotspur).
Age: 20.
Last season, Grace Clinton spent half of her season with her club Manchester United before going out to then Championship side Bristol City, on what was a successful loan spell. Her efforts across the pitch and six-goal contribution helped the side gain promotion to the WSL. After her stellar second half to the season, it was agreed Clinton would spend this season away on another loan spell to continue her development.
Under Robert Vilahamn’s management at Tottenham Hotspur, Clinton is already progressing even further at such a quick pace. This season for Spurs, she has played a total of 567 minutes across seven games, with two goals and one assist in the WSL. Against Everton in match week five, she had an 84% passing accuracy, nine recoveries, won 18 duels, and scored one goal.
Due to her progression and the work she’s put in to better her performances, she flew under the radar of England manager Sarina Wiegman, and the 20-year-old received her first senior call up for her national team for the October camp. Now that the December roster has been released, Clinton has received another well-deserved call-up for her country.
Kyra Cooney-Cross
Club: Arsenal.
Age: 21.
A player that Impetus has been hero-ing for the whole of its four-year history, the start of the WSL season saw very limited minutes for Kyra Cooney-Cross after her late deadline day signing, however, her match time has been increasing, and during the time we’ve seen her on the pitch, she has been nothing short of exceptional. As a regular on the Matildas’ squad and regular starter for previous club Hammarby in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan, Cooney-Cross is easing into life in North London whilst simultaneously displaying just how impactful she is as a player.
In Arsenal’s recent WSL fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion, the 21-year-old put on a midfield masterclass. The turnaround from her five-minute debut at the Emirates in the first game of the season to a player of the match-worthy performance this previous Sunday has been outstanding. The fixture was her third start for the Gunners, and with 43 out of 49 passes completed, nine recoveries, and eight duels won, her performance was one that has seen Arsenal fans rave about the midfielder’s value.
There are hopes that she will be a big part of the club’s future, especially considering everything she brings to the team as a younger player who recently experienced a very big change off the pitch. With more Arsenal starts bound to come, there is no doubt we will see even more growth in Cooney-Cross’ football during the 22-23 campaign.
Laura Blindkilde Brown
Club: Aston Villa.
Age: 20.
Laura Blindkilde is not only one of Aston Villa’s regular starters and a reliable force in their midfield, but she is also a product of their academy system. She signed her first professional contract for the club in 2021 after a short spell at Birmingham City and has worked her way up to her place in the Villa team. Recently her performances have been even more promising, and it wouldn’t be surprising that if she continues to keep pushing forward, she will see a lot of interest from bigger teams within the league.
Blindkilde’s talents spread across the range of the midfield, and this season we have mostly seen her in the central midfield area as the playmaker on the pitch. Last season, she played primarily as a right winger when she saw minutes for Villa, but the choice to convert her to a central midfielder has been no mistake. With her attacking qualities and defensive abilities, Blindkilde is incredibly versatile on the field, and it makes her an admirable player to have within a team.
Although young, Blindkilde also holds a strong amount of experience across the international stage. She is currently playing for the England under-23 side; however, she has played for her country at most youth levels, and it has played a big part in her development as a player.
Aggie Beever-Jones
Club: Chelsea
Age: 20.
The future for Chelsea is looking even brighter now that Aggie Beever-Jones has returned to the squad from multiple loan spells across two seasons to continue her personal development. Her start to the season has been nothing short of remarkable in the small total of 126 minutes that she’s seen on the pitch. In the minutes that she’s played, she’s already managed to score four goals in five matches.
Beever-Jones is another testament to one of the WSL academy systems successes, as Chelsea was her childhood team, and she came up through the West London club’s ranks to land the spot she now has on the first team. In her one start this season against Liverpool, within 24 minutes of play she had netted a goal that contributed to her team’s triumphant 5-1 win. Across the 64 minutes that she played in the fixture, she took three shots and had eight touches in the opposition box.
Much like many other young English players, Beever-Jones is likely to be in Sarina Wiegman’s thoughts, but as of now the 20-year-old is making excellent progress in the under 23’s squad. Many are questioning when we will see the young forward appear in the squad, especially since has proven to have an excellent on-pitch linkup with fellow teammate Lauren James.
Kathrine Kühl
Club: Arsenal.
Age: 20.
Kathrine Kühl is one of the young players within the Arsenal side, and she is often to be found in central midfield. She joined the team in the winter transfer window of the 22-23 WSL season amidst the Gunners’ unfortunate injury crisis, and she made a big contribution towards the sides’ successful league finish despite the adversity they faced. At the time of her signing, she was just 19 years old, and already some of her attributes are being compared as similar to those of Arsenal skipper and club legend, Kim Little.
When on the pitch for her side, Kühl is consistently calm under pressure and pulls the strings in midfield. At a top team like Arsenal, there is room for her to grow and develop the skills that she already possesses and utilises effectively even further. She has played very few minutes in the WSL so far this season, but the World Cup in the summer was a tournament that she excelled in for her national team with her passing, defensive cover, and attacking play.
Her international experience and the performances she has put in for the club, particularly last season, see her well deserving of achieving more minutes on the pitch. She is most definitely a big player to watch as the season progresses.
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