Maya Le Tissier

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 39 (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 23 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[edit]

St. Martins A.C.[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Guernsey[edit]

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[edit]

Youth[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Club[edit]

As of match played 23 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 17 1 3 0 4 0 2 0 26 1
Total 39 3 8 0 8 0 2 0 57 3
Career total 97 5 15 0 18 0 2 0 132 5

International[edit]

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[edit]

Manchester United

England

Individual

References[edit]

  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[edit]