From Manchester to Munich Georgia Stanway has always proven her worth and having started every game of England's historic Euro 2022 win, she will undoubtedly be key once more in Switzerland
England’s Georgia Stanway during a training session
England’s Georgia Stanway during a training session
(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
It has been a one-of-a-kind journey from Furness Rovers to the top of women’s football for Georgia Stanway.
The Cumbria-born midfielder has taken a remarkable route to the pinnacle of the beautiful game, making stops in Blackburn, Manchester, and Munich along the way.
The 26-year-old started every game of England’s run to glory in Euro 2022 and one of the Lionesses’ key players when they reached the final of the Women’s World Cup the following year.
However, it has not been an easy route to the top for one of England's brightest stars.
She has had to overcome raised eyebrows, force her way into one of English football's strongest sides, and take risks to further her career.
One of four
Born in Barrow-in-Furness, Stanway was one of four siblings and started playing football at a young age.
Her three brothers were all passionate about the sport, and by the time she was three, she was playing in one of their under-sevens teams.
The prodigy competed in boys' teams until she was 13, putting up with raised eyebrows and a few disparaging comments along the way.
Some of her opposition may have been surprised to see a girl playing, but that did not stop her from going from strength to strength.
Speaking to Stylist ahead of the 2019 World Cup, Stanway said: "I didn’t know what I was doing, I was just kicking the ball, but I loved it.
"When I’d turn up at games, the opposition would be like, ‘Ooh, there’s a girl playing’, but I thrived on it.
"Once you put the ball through someone’s legs and score a goal, they have so much respect for you."
After impressing with Furness Rovers, the midfielder played her way through Blackburn Rovers' youth system, earning a place in the senior side at the start of 2015 and scoring six goals in seven appearances for the club, coming through at the same time as fellow Lioness Ella Toone.
She started to catch the eye of some of England's biggest clubs, and after representing her country at age grade level, it was only a matter of time before she started her ascent up the football pyramid from the third tier.
Stanway left Cumbria to join Manchester City aged 16, where she attended St Bede's College, studying just a few years below her future Lionesses team-mate Keira Walsh.
Georgia Stanway playing for Manchester City in the FA cup semi-final
Georgia Stanway playing for Manchester City in the FA cup semi-final(Image: Photo by Lynne Cameron - Manchester City/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
Making it in Manchester
Stanway took to Manchester like a duck to water, making her debut in a 5–0 win over Durham in the Continental Tyres Cup in July 2015 before winning the club's Rising Star award at the end of her maiden campaign.
The midfielder soon became an integral part of the City side that won the 2016 FA Women's Super League title unbeaten, and the 2017 FA Cup.
International recognition came quickly after, as she began to make her name in Europe, and as a Lioness.
Stanway’s performances in Europe saw her named in the 2017-18 UEFA Women's Champions League Team of the Season, and in the league, she scored five goals in 14 appearances.
Her first big impact at international level came at the 2018 Women’s Under-20 World Cup in France when she scored six goals, helping England to a third-place finish.
The midfielder had caught the eye of then-England manager Phil Neville, and she scored on her senior international debut, a 3–0 triumph over Austria in November 2018.
At the end of that season, she was named the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year after recording an impressive return of 11 goals in 19 league appearances, while she was player of the match in City’s Women’s FA Cup final victory over West Ham.
Still aged only 20, she was selected in England’s squad for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, but she played a bit-part role as the Lionesses were knocked out at the semi-finals by the United States.
Stanway continued to impress despite the impact of Covid-19, winning the FA WSL Goal of the Month award for December 2021 before becoming City's highest goalscorer with a hat-trick in an 8–0 win against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.
The move to Munich
However, despite her stunning displays on the pitch, all was not well in Manchester.
Due to an injury crisis, Gareth Taylor was forced to deploy Stanway in a variety of different positions, from right-back to backup goalkeeper.
Speaking to Sky Sports News in 2022, Stanway said: "They did print a [goalkeeper] shirt though, I think the kitwoman kept it just in case of emergencies.
"That was just our season summed up really. I've played at full-back, as a reserve goalkeeper but we're back on track now.
"People are fit, they're back from injuries and we're creating that snowball effect."
Taylor was impressed by her versatility, but Stanway knew where she wanted to play.
The crisis passed, but in May 2022, the midfielder signed a three-year deal with German giants Bayern Munich.
Georgia Stanway pointing to her name on the back of her shirt for the Champions League portraits
Georgia Stanway pointing to her name on the back of her shirt for the Champions League portraits(Image: Photo by Christian Hofer - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
On top of the world with England
However, she did not let the move impact her performances with England.
Due to a lack of playing time at Manchester City and fierce competition for places in the Lionesses midfield, Stanway had to fight for minutes when Sarina Wiegman first took the job.
Stanway added: "It's unbelievable, previously under Sarina it's been challenging for me and that's been partly down to me playing at full-back for my club so I haven't been able to show what I'm capable of doing.
"It's been good to get the minutes at Manchester City but no matter what, I'll always put up a fight to try to get on that pitch.
"I'll fight for the girls, I'll put my body on the line and I'll have that mentality no matter what.
"I'll literally do anything."
After forcing her way into the Dutch coach's squad for the Women's Euros in 2022, she showed the country what she is capable of.
After her penalty kick-started the 8-0 rout of Norway in the group stage, her outrageous strike in extra-time made all the difference as England beat Spain 2-1 to reach the semi-finals of the tournament,
Stanway then played 89 minutes at Wembley as the Lionesses made history in the final against Germany.
And she got the chance to celebrate the victory in the best way possible, by serenading her new Bayern team-mates with a rousing rendition of Sweet Caroline.
Falling just short
Alongside Walsh, Stanway continued to be first choice in the Lionesses’ midfield for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, with their matches taking place in Australia.
She scored their first goal of the tournament with a penalty which turned out to be the winner against Haiti, although thankfully a miss from the spot was not costly in their shoot-out victory over Nigeria in the last 16.
England went on to reach their first ever World Cup final – and the country’s first at senior level for 57 years – but this time Stanway and her team-mates would have to accept the runners-up medals.
The Lionesses struggled to get a grip in the middle of the park against an impressive Spain side that ran out 1-0 winners in Sydney.
Back (just) in time
After a mixed start to life in Germany, Stanway took to life in the Frauen-Bundesliga and has helped Bayern Munich land the league title in each of her three seasons with them.
However, she was forced to miss much of the 2024/25 campaign with a lateral collateral knee ligament injury picked up in January that required surgery.
She has picked up an interest in tattooing since her move to Bayern and has even had some of her team-mates under the needle.
Stanway, whose younger brother Wyll is a goalkeeper at hometown club Barrow, told FourFourTwo: “One day I walked into a studio in Munich and ended up becoming friends with the owner and one of the tattoo artists.
“We just had a thing of, ‘OK, I’ll learn how to do it and hopefully one day we can tattoo each other’, just as a sign of our friendship.
"But I ended up really enjoying it and wanting to do more. I enjoy the fact I can give someone something that will stay with them forever, and that they place that trust in me."
Thankfully for the Lionesses, they will be able to place their trust again in Stanway on the pitch after she made her comeback from injury in their Women’s Nations League matches against Portugal and Spain in June.
She showed she still has an eye for goal by smashing in an excellent strike against Jamaica in their final warm-up with what was her 22nd goal for her country in her 78th cap.
Stanway gave England one of their iconic moments during the 2022 Women’s Euros – will she do likewise during the defence of their title in Switzerland?
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