Maya Le Tissier

British footballer (born 2002)

Maya Le Tissier
Le Tissier with Manchester United in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-04-18) 18 April 2002 (age 21)
Place of birth Guernsey
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.71 m)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Manchester United
Number 4
Youth career
2006–2018 St. Martins A.C. (boy's)
2018 Brighton & Hove Albion
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2022 Brighton & Hove Albion 58 (2)
2022– Manchester United 40 (3)
International career‡
2018 Guernsey U16 (men's)
England U15
2018–2019 England U17 16 (1)
2020–2021 England U19 2 (0)
2021– England U23 6 (0)
2022– England 3 (0)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  England
UEFA–CONMEBOL Finalissima
Winner 2023 England
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 March 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23 February 2024

Maya Le Tissier (born 18 April 2002) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Women's Super League club Manchester United and the England national team.

Club career

St. Martins A.C.

Le Tissier grew up on the channel island of Guernsey. She began playing football at the age of four for local boys' club St. Martins A.C., coached by her father, Darren.[1] With no girls' teams on the island, Le Tissier began flying to Hampshire to play for the county team twice a month from the age of 13, doing so for two years until the time commitment meant she was missing too much school and too many training sessions.[2] She continued to play for St. Martins until the age of 16.[3]

Brighton & Hove Albion

On 1 July 2018, Le Tissier joined the academy at English Women's Super League club Brighton & Hove Albion.[4] She was quickly promoted to the first team, being named as an unused substitute for a WSL match against Arsenal on 25 November 2018, and made her senior debut on 5 December, starting and playing the full 90 minutes of a 5–1 League Cup group stage win against Crystal Palace.[5] She made her league debut four days later starting against Chelsea and scored her first goal for the club on 9 May 2021 in a 3–1 league win against Bristol City.[6] She was named as Brighton Women's Young Player of the Season at Albion's end-of-season awards for both the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons.[7][8] She was also nominated for PFA Women's Young Player of the Year in June 2022.[9]

Manchester United

On 20 July 2022, Le Tissier signed a three-year contract with Manchester United.[10] With one year remaining on her Brighton contract, the club triggered a release clause reportedly between £50,000 and £60,000.[11] She made her club debut on 17 September 2022, starting and scoring two goals in a 4–0 opening day WSL win against Reading.[12]

International career

Guernsey

Le Tissier made history when she became the first female player to play for the Guernsey under-16 boys' team, featuring in the under-16 version of the 2018 Muratti Vase against Jersey under-16s in March of that year.[13]

England

Youth

Having been invited to an England under-15 south west regional camp, Le Tissier went on to captain the England under-15 women's national team.[13] In September 2018, Le Tissier was named captain of the under-17s ahead of 2019 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship qualification.[14] England won all six qualification games without conceding and Le Tissier was named to the final squad for the 2019 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship in Bulgaria.[15] She started all three games as England were eliminated at the group stage on head-to-head goal difference having tied on six points with Germany and Netherlands.

Her step up to under-19 level came on 6 March 2020 against Sweden in the La Manga tournament.[16] She made her under-23 debut at the age of 19 in a friendly against Belgium on 25 October 2021.[17]

Senior

In November 2022, Le Tissier received her first senior England call-up for friendlies against Japan and Norway.[18] She made her debut on 15 November, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 draw with the latter opponent.[19] On 18 November 2022, her England legacy number was announced as number 226.[20] In May 2023, Le Tissier was named to the standby list for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[21]

Personal life

Le Tissier's father, Darren, previously played semi-professional football for St. Martins A.C.[2] She credits him for introducing her to the team of four-year-old boys he was coaching, of which she has said: "credit to the boys back home, if they didn't just see me as another footballer, then I might not be where I am today."[22]

Despite coming from the same small island of Guernsey and sharing a surname, Le Tissier is not related to the former England international footballer Matthew Le Tissier, although the two families know each other and Darren had previously played football with Matt.[3]

In May 2022, Le Tissier signed up to footballing charity Common Goal, pledging to donate at least one percent of her salary.[23]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 31 March 2024[24]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brighton & Hove Albion 2018–19 WSL 2 0 0 0 1 0 — 3 0
2019–20 12 0 3 0 4 0 — 19 0
2020–21 22 1 3 0 2 0 — 27 1
2021–22 22 1 1 0 3 0 — 26 1
Total 58 2 7 0 10 0 0 0 75 2
Manchester United 2022–23 WSL 22 2 5 0 4 0 — 31 2
2023–24 18 1 3 0 4 0 2 0 27 1
Total 40 3 8 0 8 0 2 0 58 3
Career total 98 5 15 0 18 0 2 0 133 5

International

As of match played 23 February 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
England 2022 1 0
2023 1 0
2024 1 0
Total 3 0

Honours

Manchester United

England

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Maya Le Tissier on her different pathway to the WSL, working under 'legend' Hope Powell and playing against the world's best". Sky Sports.
  2. ^ a b McElwee, Molly (26 March 2021). "Meet football's other talented Le Tissier who is making waves at Brighton". The Telegraph.
  3. ^ a b Lloyd-Hughes, Florence (29 April 2022). "Maya Le Tissier: From small aims (remembering to lock doors) to big ambitions (England captaincy)". The Athletic.
  4. ^ "Maya Le Tissier on moving to Brighton to pursue her dreams". BBC Radio Jersey. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Le Tissier hails 'dream' professional debut". ITV. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Bright 3–1 Bristol City". BBC. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Maya Le Tissier wins Brighton Women's Young Player of the Year". ITV News. 7 June 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Cucurella at the double at Players' Awards". Brighton & Hove Albion. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Le Tissier nominated for PFA award". www.brightonandhovealbion.com.
  10. ^ "United Women sign Maya Le Tissier". Manchester United.
  11. ^ "Manchester United sign Le Tissier from Brighton". BBC Sport.
  12. ^ "Manchester United 4–0 Reading". BBC Sport.
  13. ^ a b "Maya Le Tissier: Guernsey girl, 15, may make history in boys' under-16 Muratti". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  14. ^ "Le Tissier captains England U17s to victory in Moldova". Guernsey Press. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  15. ^ "Captain Maya heading for Euro U17 finals with England". guernseypress.com.
  16. ^ "Emma Coate's Young Lionesses Lose out to late goal against Sweden in La Manga". The FA. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Belgium 0–1 England WU23s". The FA. 25 October 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  18. ^ "England squad named for Japan and Norway". www.englandfootball.com.
  19. ^ "England 1 Norway 1". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  20. ^ "England women's legacy and results archive". England Football. The Football Association. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  21. ^ "England Women's World Cup squad: Beth Mead left out, Beth England in". BBC Sport. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  22. ^ Le Tissier, Maya (10 June 2021). Women's Young Player of the Season 2021: Maya Le Tissier. Brighton and Hove Albion FC. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2022 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ "Maya Le Tissier joins Common Goal". www.brightonandhovealbion.com.
  24. ^ "M. Le Tissier". Soccerway.
  25. ^ Wrack, Suzanne (14 May 2023). "Chelsea claim FA Cup hat-trick after Sam Kerr sees off Manchester United". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  26. ^ Sanders, Emma (6 April 2023). "England beat Brazil on penalties to win Finalissima". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  27. ^ "Arnold Clark Cup: England hit six v Belgium to retain trophy". BBC Sport. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  28. ^ "Rachel Daly: Aston Villa forward wins PFA women's Player of the Year award". BBC Sport. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  29. ^ "Footballer Maya Le Tissier named Sports Personality of the Year". ITV.

External links

  • v
  • t
  • e
Manchester United W.F.C. – current squad
  • v
  • t
  • e
2022–23 Women's Super League PFA Team of the Year