Manchester United captain Maya Le Tissier has quickly asserted her leadership qualities in domestic football and will now take that calm head to Switzerland for Euro 2025
LEIGH, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 13: Maya Le Tissier of Manchester United acknowledges the crowd following the Barclays Women's Super League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Leigh Sports Village on October 13, 2024 in Leigh, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
It would complete a remarkable journey that began in the Channel Islands for Maya Le Tissier should she help England retain their Euros title in a landlocked country.
The defender has shown leadership qualities beyond her still tender years, with the 23-year-old one of the youngest players named in Sarina Wiegman’s squad.
That will definitely help should the Manchester United captain be called upon in Switzerland, although she has already made history just from being there.
Le Tissier is the first player from Guernsey – male or female – to be selected by England for a major tournament and it is back home where she began to develop into the player she is today.
Island life
It did not take Le Tissier long to get into football back home in Guernsey as she started playing aged just four for the boys’ team at St Martin AC, who are based on the south of the island.
Her first coach was her father, Darren, who had played semi-professionally while serving in the Royal Air Force and she continued playing for the club until she was 16.
However, there were no girls’ teams in Guernsey, with its location meaning Le Tissier would have to travel further than practically anyone else to find one.
Manchester United Women players in action during a training session at Carrington
Manchester United Women players in action during a training session at Carrington
(Image: Charlotte Tattersall)
She told England football: “I started travelling over to England to play for girls teams around the age of 11 or 12.
“I remember I went away with Guernsey and I wasn’t actually meant to be on the tour at U11s and we went to play the Southampton boys’ academy team. I remember one of their coaches was like ‘you need to come over here and see if you can get into a team’.
“So, my mum and dad found Hampshire and I played for them for two years when I was about 11 until 13 and flew over twice a month. I would fly over on Thursdays and miss school to train and then play Saturdays.
“I did that once or twice a month for two years, but I was still missing too many sessions and games so we had to stop. I was so gutted at the time.”
Determined to help their daughter keep playing in England, Le Tissier’s parents, with the help of the FA, found the South West Regional Camp.
Now part of a scheme for players who didn’t always have access to a club, Le Tissier travelled over one weekend per month and ended up earning a call-up to England U15s.
It was with the camp that she met Katie Robinson, herself now a Lioness and someone Le Tissier has shared a pitch with on many occasions with the friendship extending to their respective families.
Eventually, she attracted the attention of Brighton & Hove Albion, who she signed for as a 16-year-old in the summer of 2018 which meant she had to move away from Guernsey. She would now be on ‘the mainland’ full-time.
Soaring seagull
It wasn’t long before Le Tissier was thrown into action at Brighton, who were managed by former Lionesses boss Hope Powell.
Five months after signing for the Seagulls, she made her debut in a Women’s League Cup match against Crystal Palace and four days after that she was facing the might of Chelsea in the Women’s Super League.
Le Tissier told Sky Sports: "I was in midfield against Ji (So-yun) the whole game! I'll never forget it. To go up against one of the best midfielders in the world was crazy but it was a really good experience and something I'm really grateful to have had."
From that point, she was a regular starter in Brighton’s defence, to the point where set a new record of WSL appearances for a teenager (53) when she played against Arsenal in March 2022.
It was in the 2021/22 season that Le Tissier attracted praise for consistently producing composed performances that players far more experienced than her would have been pleased with.
It led to a nomination for the PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year award and although she lost out to future Lionesses team-mate Lauren Hemp, a huge honour was just around the corner, as was a big move.
Skinner's side went down to their fourth consecutive FA WSL defeat at the hands of Brighton Women on Sunday
Skinner's side went down to their fourth consecutive FA WSL defeat at the hands of Brighton Women on Sunday
(Image: Getty Images)
Red Devil and Lioness
In the summer of 2022, Le Tissier signed for Manchester United and enjoyed a debut to remember for her new club as she scored twice in a 4-0 win over Reading.
It continued to get better for her that autumn when she earned her first call-up into the senior England squad.
Le Tissier made her debut for the Lionesses in a friendly draw against Norway in November 2022, playing alongside players who not long ago had become European champions.
She was on the standby list for their 2023 Women’s World Cup squad, but the call to head Down Under never came and she watched from home as Wiegman’s side reached the final, ultimately losing to Spain.
Given competition for her place has included Leah Williamson, Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood, Le Tissier has had to be patient for her chances and has eight caps at the time of writing.
Her stock continued to rise at United, however, as she helped them win their first major trophy as Tottenham were beaten 4-0 in the 2024 Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley.
Following the departure of fellow Lioness Katie Zelem that summer, Le Tissier was handed the captain’s armband at the still tender age of 22.
It’s an honour that’s hardly weighed her down, however, as she was a rock at the back and managed to contribute five goals as United finished third in the WSL and qualified for the Women’s Champions League last season.
How fitting that she also became the youngest player to make 100 WSL appearances when she faced her former club, Brighton, last November.
Maya Le Tissier on her debut for England running with the ball
Maya Le Tissier on her debut for England running with the ball (Image: Photo by Naomi Baker - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Grateful for Guernsey
Her performances meant Le Tissier fully earned her place in England’s squad for this summer’s Euros in Switzerland as the Lionesses look to defend the title so memorably won on home soil three years ago.
The connection to Guernsey remains, although it’s worth repeating that she is not related to the island’s most famous footballing export despite sharing a surname with ex-forward Matt Le Tissier.
That’s not to say there’s no link to the Southampton legend, however, as the two families know each other through her dad playing football with him.
Le Tissier still trains at St Martins to keep fit during Christmas while she stays with her parents and is proud of her Channel Islands roots.
She told England Football: “I had so much support from back home.
“Guernsey is a great place in terms community spirit and helping raise sponsorship and things like that, so I was very lucky and thank you to everyone who has supported me and I hope they can see that it has paid off.
“Now a couple of other Guernsey girls have been to the South West Regional Camps, which is really nice to see, and there has been another Guernsey girl in the Brighton U21s, so it's nice to see the path being used and hopefully it's one which helps the boys as well.
“It's really good to be a role model for girls and boys back in the Channel Islands because they don’t get that many opportunities to show what they are about.
“Obviously Matt Le Tissier did it quite a while ago, but there wasn’t really a pathway so hopefully they see that I've done it and know that they can do it too.”
Le Tissier is aiming to become the second product of St Martins to lift silverware this summer after Alex Scott did so with England at the European Under-21 Championships.
Her first club could be celebrating having two European champions among their alumni before long.