'Would mean everything' - Man United captain makes England admission after 'mad' summer decision

When Ella Toone fired England ahead in the European Championship final, there were few people inside Wembley more delighted than Maya Le Tissier.

The Manchester United captain - who, at the time, had just come off the back of a successful season with Brighton & Hove Albion - was watching the game from the stands. At that point, turning out for the Lionesses in a major tournament seemed a faraway prospect for the young defender, but still she was ecstatic to be witnessing a slice of history in the flesh.

“Me and my mate went and watched the game,” she reflects when asked about that momentous win over Germany. “We ended up being in with some of the FA staff and it was so special.

“I wasn’t even close to being a part of the England team then, but I knew I was signing for United that summer. I was watching Tooney and some of the other girls and thinking ‘they’re going to be my teammates!’ It was really special.”

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Fast forward to now and Le Tissier is one of the most highly-rated defenders in the Women’s Super League (WSL). Following Katie Zelem’s move to Angel City in the summer, the centre-back was handed the armband at United and now has four senior England caps under her belt.

“I’ve had to be quite patient,” she says of her international career to date. “I’ve been at most camps but missed out on the World Cup (in 2023). I’ve been close but not in there, so I’d really like to cement my spot and that comes with my performances.

“I’ve played a lot of games now so I don’t think there’s ever a question about my experience. I can definitely bring that.”

Certainly, at 22, Le Tissier already has more game time under her belt than players several years her senior. In featuring for United in October’s 1-1 draw with former club Brighton, the defender became the youngest-ever player to make 100 appearances in the WSL, surpassing the record previously set by Manchester City and England winger Lauren Hemp.

“I actually didn’t even know that until after the game and then I saw a photo of me in a Brighton shirt and me in a United shirt,” she laughs. “I thought ‘that’s so weird that I’ve come back to the Amex and made my 100th appearance’.

“I feel very grateful to the coaches, to Hope (Powell), to Marc (Skinner). They put their trust in me even when I was a kid and probably making too many mistakes, but they trusted me to play in that position and to help the team. I loved my time at Brighton and I love my time at United so it’s been really good for me so far, but there’s still a lot more I can bring and a lot more games for me to become a better player.”

Le Tissier’s time at United so far has been a roller coaster. In her first season at the club, she played every WSL game as the Reds took the title race to the final day and, despite ultimately being pipped to the trophy by Chelsea, they qualified for the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the first time in the club’s history, as well as reaching a maiden FA Cup final.

Though Chelsea once again got the better of them in the showpiece fixture at Wembley, United had proved they were capable of mixing it with the top-flight’s elite. Last season, however, it was a different story.

Marc Skinner’s side finished fifth in the WSL and crashed out of Europe in the qualifying stages. The club was subject to enormous criticism, though they ultimately ended the campaign with their first major piece of silverware by toppling Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup final.

“We had a very special team last season,” Le Tissier says. “I think we can definitely be blinded by some of our performances, some of our results from last season. But we won our first (major) trophy for the club and I think everyone can say it was probably one of the best days of our lives, winning that for United.”

In August, Le Tissier hit another career milestone when Skinner appointed her United captain, with Toone - whose goal she had celebrated at Wembley just two summers ago - as her vice. Wearing the armband for a club of United’s stature is not an easy task, particularly at a time when the ownership’s attitude towards its women’s team has come under intense scrutiny.

But, so far, Le Tissier has shouldered that responsibility admirably, and the defender is relishing the chance to hone her leadership skills. “It’s so special to be captain at United,” she says.

“It’s such a big club and I’m very grateful for the opportunity that Marc has given me. It was funny when I came in (to England camp) and people were like: “Alright, skip”. But it’s been really nice

“It’s pretty mad. I never thought when I was playing back home (in Guernsey) that I’d be Manchester United captain at 22. Even when some of our players left in the summer, I thought maybe I’d like to be in the mix but I’m still quite young so I didn’t know if Marc would give the captaincy to me.

“When he did, I was so excited. I think I’m quite a mature person anyway. I moved away from home when I was 16. I’ve been on my own for quite a while now and playing at the highest level. I think I have different leadership skills within that and my journey has made me the leader and the player I am today.”

That leadership ability, Le Tissier hopes, could be her ticket into Sarina Wiegman’s England squad for next summer’s Euros. The Lionesses qualified for the tournament finals earlier this year and, after being named as a standby at the World Cup, the United defender is more determined than ever to establish herself in the England team.

“It would mean everything,” she says of the opportunity to represent her country in Switzerland. “It would be an absolute dream to play in a major tournament with England.

“I think that’s what we all dream of. I’ve been so close but still so far away so I definitely have things to improve. I will definitely do everything I can to put myself in there.”

She adds: “It was bittersweet (missing out on the World Cup squad). Sarina gave me the call to say I was in the standby squad, which was still a huge achievement, but it was difficult to take.

“I think I’d had a good season for United so it was really hard but I went out there and I loved it. I loved Australia. I loved being around the girls. They made me feel like I was part of the team.

“I didn’t know what the vibe was going to be, being there as a standby. Obviously you don’t want anybody to get injured but you want to be at the World Cup so it’s a weird one. But I just made the most out of it, helping the girls prepare for what was a great tournament. I was really happy to play my part but hopefully next summer I can play an even bigger part.”