A week of United Women debuts
Three Manchester United players made their first compeitive appearances for the club in the space of the last few days.
It’s not what you really expect to be talking about a couple of months into the season, but this past week has seen three players make their Manchester United debut in quick succession.
By Anna Sandberg’s own admission, getting onto the pitch for the first time was a “[long] time coming”, when the full-back was finally able to do it. That was as a substitute in last weekend’s WSL victory away at Leicester, replacing Gabby George in the second half of the game at the King Power Stadium.
“I’ve been waiting for this and it’s a dream come true,” Sandberg told MUTV.
The 21-year-old is a young talent at the start of her career. But United were sufficiently convinced by her ability and potential, having already played Champions League football with BK Hacken, to invest what was a record transfer fee for a Swedish player - automatically more than the reported £150,000 which took Hanna Bennison to Everton in 2021.
Unfortunately for Sandberg, a knee problem delayed her start to the season at a time when there was a golden opportunity to establish herself. Hannah Blundell had recently announced her pregnancy, ruling her out of action for the duration of 2024/25, while George was still building fitness after 11 months out with an ACL injury. It was Leah Galton who ended up starting the season at left-back.
George has since returned to full-time action and has already impressed enough to earn a first England call-up in two years. But Sandberg had a promising 26 minutes in Leicester, considering it was her very first taste of English football, and then made her full debut in Wednesday night’s League Cup win at Everton.
It bodes well for the left-back postition moving forward to have two top players, who are both also a natural left-footed fit, competing for the role.
Sandberg was replaced after an hour at Walton Hall Park by Jess Simpson, for whom it was also a United debut. The home-grown defender was on the fringes of the first-team during 2022/23 and signed her first professional contract with the club at the same time as close friend Safia Middleton-Patel that January. The same month, Simpson got to play in the mid-season Malta friendly against local side Birkirkara. But her competitive debut this week had been a long time coming after a loan at Bristol City last season, intended to provide regular first-team chances, was quickly derailed by an ACL injury after only five weeks.
Perhaps the biggest news ahead of kick-off against Everton in midweek was the inclusion of Emma Watson in the starting lineup. The 18-year-old Scotland international made the switch from Rangers in the summer of 2023, having been a key first-team player and representing the club in the Champions League, arriving to much fanfare in Manchester. But she was cruelly struck down by an ACL injury before last season had even begun.
Watson regained fitness during the summer, participating in behind closed doors pre-season friendlies, only for a knock in training to delay her further as 2024/25 got underway. The midfielder’s first real action in over a year came in back-to-back substitutes appearances for Scotland against Hungary during last month’s international break, having been an unused substitute in five WSL games before and after. But with a rotated XI named for the Everton game, Watson’s chance came, “one of the best days” in her fledgling career to date. “It’s been so tough, and 15 months later it shows how the hard work has paid off. I’m delighted and loved every single second on that pitch.”
As for what United debut could be next, Lucy Newell has been a familiar name in matchday squads in 2024/25, on the bench for four of nine matches across the WSL and League Cup so far. The England Under-19 international initially joined from West Bromwich Albion in 2023 but spent last season with her former club on dual registration, before going on to sign a professional United contract on her 18th birthday in October.
Next month’s League Cup fixture against Championship side Newcastle at Leigh Sports Village, which has the potential to be a dead rubber depending on Sunday’s result between the Magpies and Liverpool, could be an ideal chance for her to get on the pitch.