INSide
YOUR MATCH PROGRAMME
HEAD COACH’S COLUMN
TALK OF THE TERRACE
CAPTAIN’S COLUMN
ONE HUNDRED GAMES IN LEIGH
SAFIA’S LUCKY SEVEN
FAN MESSAGES
HANNAH BLUNDELL POSTER
MIYAZAWA’S PROGRESS
THE OPPOSITION
JUNIOR REDS
STATS AT THE BACK
ADDED-TIME QUIZ
MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB
Co-chairmen Joel Glazer, Avram Glazer
Directors Bryan Glazer, Kevin Glazer, Edward Glazer, Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, Michael Edelson, Sir Alex Ferguson, David Gill CBE, Omar Berrada, Sir Dave Brailsford Secretary Rebecca Britain Honorary president Martin Edwards
MATCH PROGRAMME TEAM
Editor Charlie Ghagan Contributors Mikey Partington, Helen Rowe-Willcocks, Sean Mullan, Jamie Spencer, Sam Carney, Matt Brown, Ben Ashby Design Tom Chase Photography Poppy Townson, Ash Donelon, Zohaib Alam, Getty, Alamy Thanks to Ellie Decrop, Paul Davies, John Shiel, Mark Froggatt
SKINNER Marc
AS OUR FOCUS RETURNS TO LEAGUE MATTERS, TODAY’S TARGET IS TO OVERCOME A MUCH-IMPROVED SPURS SIDE, AND AS EVER WE’LL NEED TO SHOW OUR TOGETHERNESS TO GET THE JOB
DONE...
Welcome back to the Progress With Unity Stadium – it feels like we have never been away! With this many games at home, the support you are showing is really appreciated and it does not go unnoticed. I have said it before but we love playing at this stadium. We hear every shout, the players all love their chants and you really are the extra motivation we need to push through in games. This is our last Women’s Super League game of 2025, and I am really proud of this team and what we have achieved so far this season. Coming into this historic campaign, with the addition of a busy European schedule, we knew we would face high-level challenges that are different to previous seasons.
With each of these tests the players and staff are learning and growing. This is the most amount of fixtures we have ever played in the first half of any season and we have shown that, as a team, our togetherness is stronger than ever.
I welcome Martin Ho and Lawrence Shamieh back to Leigh today, along with all at Tottenham. They have had some strong results so far this season and we know they will bring a challenge, as they will when we face them again in the Subway League Cup in a week’s time. Enjoy the game this afternoon and continue to make yourselves heard!
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TOUGH NIGHT IN EUROPE...
The players of OL Lyonnes (left) and United (right) line up under the lights, ahead of the inaugural meeting between the teams on Wednesday night here in Leigh. This particular league-phase clash in the Champions League, against the record eight-time winners of the competition, always looked liked being the biggest challenge of our six-game schedule, and so it proved as Jonatan Giraldez’s side secured a deserved win, even if the two goals scored after the 80th minute added a bit more shine to the
scoreline from the French side’s perspective.
After Tabitha Chawinga’s 12th-minute header gave them the advantage, it was left to Melchie Dumornay to stamp her class on proceedings, and the Haitian forward would eventually be rewarded by scoring their two late goals.
The closest the Reds came was through Melvine Malard, who put a header over the bar just before half-time with only the goalkeeper to beat, but in truth United didn’t really trouble
Christiane Endler in the Lyon net, despite showing plenty of endeavour across the 90 minutes.
Still, the Reds remain in a reasonable position in the 18-team standings – we’re guaranteed at least a two-legged play-off come February (the prize for the winner being a spot in the quarters), while if we can beat Juventus this coming Wednesday, we still have an outside chance of going straight into the last eight.
Terrace TAlk ofthe
ALL THE PRE-MATCH CHAT AHEAD OF TODAY’S WSL GAME...
This is a third home game in eight days for our Reds, who will be itching to get back out there after the midweek UWCL loss... Wednesday’s defeat to OL Lyonnes was a disappointing night for all of a United persuasion, but there is so much our players and staff will have been able to take from that 90 minutes, against one of the true European heavyweights in the women’s game. While we’re switching competitions again and returning our focus to the WSL, we can start to put those valuable lessons into practice today, as Spurs arrive in town for our final WSL fixture of 2025. Last weekend, the victory over West Ham saw us return to winning ways in the league and the goal here will be to build on that result, before the division pauses for Christmas.
What would the extra three points do for our league position, entering the break?
A win today would ensure Marc Skinner’s side welcome in the New Year inside the top three, occupying one of those coveted UEFA Champions League spots. United could go into the mid-season hiatus as high as second in the standings – behind leaders Man City – although we’d need reigning champions Chelsea to drop points for the second straight weekend for that to be a possibility. The Blues were beaten in the WSL for the first time under boss Sonia Bompastor last weekend, by Everton, and go to Brighton in one of four WSL fixtures taking place elsewhere today.
Where are visitors Spurs in the standings?
The Londoners started this weekend in fifth place, only two positions back from United, and just a single point behind. It does mean they would leapfrog us in the table if they can produce a triumphant display against the Reds, something that has proved elusive in the 15 previous meetings between the sides. We’ve won 13 of those encounters (two draws), including both of last season’s WSL battles – a 3-0 victory here in Leigh which you may remember best for Elisabeth Terland’s first two goals for the club, before our Norwegian striker was the scourge of Spurs again in the reverse fixture, netting the only strike in February’s rematch in the capital.
The boss will be looking for a reaction to Wednesday’s European defeat
Things have changed at Spurs since then, haven’t they – with a familiar face…
Yes, ex-boss Robert Vilahamn was replaced in the summer by our former assistant coach Martin Ho, who departed United in 2023 after three years. Ho went on to start his own managerial career with Brann in Norway, before being appointed by Spurs. The 35-year-old is the WSL’s youngest active head coach and has already made an impression on the division, taking a Spurs team that finished one place above relegation last term up to within touching distance of the European positions.
It’s a Spurs team we’re going to get familiar with before Christmas too, as we play them again in the League Cup quarter-finals this time next week…
It’s funny how football works, isn’t it? Coming into today, Spurs are the only WSL side we are yet to face so far this season, but we’ll go up against them twice here in Leigh between
Awinwouldensure wewelcomeinthe NewYearinside thewsl’stopthree
now and next Sunday, with Wednesday’s UWCL trip to Juventus in between. After her goals against Spurs last season, getting Terland back from the knock that kept her out in midweek would be a boost for these two matches, with Skinner hinting in the week that it could be a possibility.
Any other team news we should know?
Millie Turner is nearing a comeback from a knee injury that has sidelined her since September, although it remains to be seen if this game will come too soon for her. For Spurs, England international forward Jessica Naz has been added to their list of absentees after suffering an ACL injury last weekend. Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that their recent signing, Signe Gaupset – a star for Norway at the summer’s Euros – won’t play in either of these matches against us as her transfer from Brann isn’t complete until January.●
Janssen’s free-kick against West Ham last Sunday was a brilliant moment to see Skinner’s Reds to victory
Will we see top scorer Terland return from injury this afternoon?
The Reds will have a pre-noon kick-off at Villa
FIXTURE UPDATES
January’s WSL away days confirmed, while League Cup tie is a week away...
Next weekend’s Subway Women’s League Cup fixture between United and Spurs is one of two upcoming games on our schedule that has recently had its details confirmed.
The rematch of today’s Barclays Women’s Super League encounter will take place seven days from now, Sunday 21 December, at 1pm.
Tickets for the tie, to be played here at the Progress With Unity Stadium, are available by scanning the code (right), while the clash will be streamed live on the WSL’s YouTube channel.
That quarter-final is our last outing before the mid-season break and, soon after the Reds return in the New Year, we’ll play away to Aston Villa in the league. The kick-off time for the meeting on Sunday 25 January has been moved to 11.55am, so it can be broadcast as it
happens at Villa Park on Sky Sports. United will be out for revenge against Natalia Arroyo’s side, who inflicted our first defeat of the WSL campaign during November’s reverse fixture in Leigh.
Before then in 2026, however, we’ve got a league trip to Arsenal on Saturday 10 January (12.30pm at Emirates Stadium) and we’ll start our pursuit of a place in a fourth consecutive Adobe Women’s FA Cup final with a fourth-round tie against an opponent to be confirmed, on the following weekend.
The third-round matches are taking place this weekend and, while details of the draw for the next stage were still to be confirmed as this programme went to print, it is likely that we will soon know who the Reds will face first in the competition we memorably won back in May 2024.
FIFTY FOR PHALLON
Wednesday’s game against OL Lyonnes saw Phallon Tullis-Joyce reach a half-century of appearances for United.
Our American goalkeeper – sporting a protective face mask for the second successsive game following a recent eye-socket injury – becomes just the second goalkeeper to achieve this feat, after Mary Earps, and the 26th Red overall to reach 50 games.
After signing from NWSL club OL Reign in September 2023, Phallon’s debut came in a 7-0 League Cup win at home to Everton in November that year.
Despite the result in midweek, it’s been another impressive campaign for the 29-year-old, who has kept a clean sheet in eight of her 16 appearances to date this term, while adding to her caps for the United States, of which she has four. Here’s to the next 50, Phall!
Park in our final January outing
Our no.91 continues to impress between the sticks
Official Electrical Styling Partner of Manchester United
Maya THE CAPTAIN
AFTER LAST SUNDAY’S LEAGUE WIN, IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE SIGN OFF IN THE TOP FLIGHT FOR 2025 WITH ANOTHER VICTORY ON HOME SOIL...
The games really are coming thick and fast here at the Progress With Unity Stadium. To get a run of fixtures at home like this is great as we know you will be out in your numbers to support us in the run-up to Christmas.
Last weekend, I hit my 100th consecutive appearance for Manchester United in all competitions. It’s a nice feeling and one I am really proud of. The one thing you probably all know about me is that I like to play every minute I can. It’s so important to me to be able to help the team wherever and
Our win against West Ham was a much-needed one, and now’s the time to build on that momentum in the WSL
whenever I am needed. I want to be reliable and consistent and I will always push to improve myself and work hard every single week.
This week, we come up against a Spurs side who have been playing really well so far this season. We know that being coached by Martin Ho and Lawrence Shamieh, they will be strong. We expect them to be good on the ball this afternoon, and they scored two late goals to win their game against Aston Villa last weekend so we will be on the lookout for that.
We know that with the players Spurs have, they will be a strong challenge.
It’ll be nice to see Martin again. He’s doing really well at Spurs and is a great coach, who I enjoyed working with when he was here, as I did with Lawrence.
Enjoy the game – our last in the league this year, with the Champions League and League Cup to come – and thanks, as always, for your brilliant support.
1. KAYLA RENDELL
The keeper joined the Reds from Southampton in January. In April 2024, she received her first call-up to the senior England team for the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 qualifiers.
2. ANNA SANDBERG
The 22-year-old full-back has been a regular this season, and she won the Player of the Match award last Sunday after assisting Terland’s goal against West Ham.
6. HANNAH BLUNDELL
The first Red in the professional era to return to play after giving birth, the flying full-back could be the next to reach 100 United appearances – she’s now on 94.
SQUAD SN APSHOTs
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THOSE IN RED
Our Manchester-born full-back has showcased her versatility in recent weeks, stepping into central defence for the UWCL win against PSG at Old Trafford.
Ahead of this latest round of WSL fixtures, the Reds’ record appearance maker and goalscorer also tops the overall WSL chart for assists this season (five).
The French forward has scored more goals than any Red in the WSL this season – she’s currently on five, one ahead of Park and two ahead of Terland.
3. GABBY GEORGE 4. MAYA LE TISSIER
Maya has started every Reds fixture dating back to December 2022. She recently enjoyed two starts – and two clean sheets – playing for England as a centre-back.
7. ELLA TOONE 8. JESS PARK 9. MELVINE MALARD
ELISABETH TERLAND
Teri leads the way with overall goals this term, with last Sunday’s strike making it 10 for 2025/26. She needs just two more to match her tally for the whole of last season.
The Reds’ new no.8 has made a superb start to life with the Reds, scoring four goals in 15 games and being named United Player of the Match three times.
LEAH GALTON
After overcoming an injury at the start of the season, the winger has made seven appearances so far this term – three in the league and four in Europe.
ROLFO
The former Barça winger has been showing her attacking prowess in the Champions League in recent weeks, with three goals – a fine volley and two brilliant headers.
As the Norwegian recently announced, she’s expecting a baby, meaning she’ll soon follow Siobhan Chamberlain and Hannah Blundell in being a ‘United mum’!
18. JULIA ZIGIOTTI OLME
The 27-year-old is another who’s taken no time to settle in, with her tireless midfield work making a real difference since signing in July. She has 50 caps for Sweden.
The forward played for today’s opponents prior to joining the Reds in 2022 – she made 41 appearances for the Londoners, scoring six goals (four in the WSL).
AWUJO
The midfielder – born in Atlanta, Georgia but with 28 caps for Canada – joined United in August 2024, and she’s since become a popular member of the squad.
Celin’s compatriot recently surpassed 300 senior club games in her career. The most recent of her six goals in 55 United games came at Brighton last month.
HINATA MIYAZAWA
Miyazawa has been a regular this term, with her quick feet making the Reds tick in the middle of the park – turn to p28 to read all about Hini’s impressive progress.
The young Welsh international goalkeeper – capped seven times for her country – made her WSL and UWCL debuts this season, after her first-team bow in ‘24/25.
Simi’s fellow Canadian continues to impress more as each season passes, and she was named Player of the Match for our last Old Trafford game as we beat PSG.
The versatile midfielder has been a regular in defence this season, but she stepped up to fire home a brilliant free-kick v West Ham last Sunday – her third Reds goal.
The ever-dependable centre-back is second only to Ella Toone for all-time Reds appearances. A recent knee injury is likely to keep her out until the end of the year.
Having sustained an eye injury in our recent home game against Aston Villa, the New Yorker missed three games, before returning as we faced West Ham last Sunday.
47. JESSICA ANDERSON (MF); 48. SIENNA WAREING (MF); 52. SCARLETT HILL (DF)
NEXT UP IN LEIGH...
HAVE YOU GOT YOUR TICKETS SORTED FOR NEXT SUNDAY?
Whatever happens this afternoon against Spurs, there will quickly be a chance to either answer or add to the narrative for both sides, given our next home game one week on is also against the north Londoners. That match, kicking off at 1pm on Sunday 21 December here in Leigh, comes at the quarter-final stage of the Subway Women’s League Cup – a competition that the Reds are of course looking to win for the first time.
While our participation in the group phase of the Champions League exempted us from the group stage of the League Cup, meaning we enter now in the last eight, our opponents have had to earn their place in the knockouts the traditional way. A penalty shoot-out win over Aston Villa got Tottenham their first point on the board in September, and victories over Birmingham City and Bristol City in October and November gave them a table-topping tally of eight points in Group E. The reward for Spurs – led of course by former United assistant manager Martin Ho – is a trip north and a second meeting with United in a week. Winners of the one-off tie will then play an away semi-final against either Crystal Palace or Arsenal, who meet in the last eight in south London. The other quarter-final ties are Liverpool v Chelsea and West Ham United v Manchester City.
United and Tottenham have never played one another in this competition before – though we were a couple of results from meeting in its final in 2021/22, with Spurs falling down in the semis to Manchester City, while the Reds lost to Chelsea at the same stage. Three times, in fact, United have been to the semi-final stages of the League Cup, but a place in the final – and the thrill of lifting the trophy – still eludes us. In 2018/19 we were beaten 2-1 by Arsenal, and one year later it was also a slim margin of defeat, 1-0 against Chelsea. Then in 2021/22 we reached our third semi-final, only to be denied a final berth by defeat to Chelsea once again. Last term we went out
in the quarter-final stages to Manchester City – so the first goal next Sunday will be to get past Tottenham and give ourselves another shot at reaching the final.
Remember, WSL-only season tickets won’t be valid for the cup, but you can buy tickets by scanning the code here. We’d love to see you here to (hopefully) cheer Marc Skinner’s Reds on to the semi-finals!
It was May 2024 when we last faced Spurs in a cup contest – and now we’ll meet in the League Cup for the first time
Words Ben Ashby
LUCKY
SeVEN
A RED RANDOMLY PICKS SEVEN BOXES, EACH CONTAINING AN OFFBEAT POSER. TODAY, IT’S SAFIA MIDDLETON-PATEL
Q: If you weren’t a footballer, what job would you be doing right now?
“I’d hopefully be working at Legoland, down in Windsor. I have been there, and I would love to work there, ideally looking after all the mini-builds. The good thing is, unlike football you can be as old as you want for Lego, so it’ll never be too late for me! So maybe one day.”
Q: What’s your go-to karaoke song?
“It’s a rogue one – it’s the ‘riff-off’ from Pitch Perfect – you know, from the film. People often go, ‘oh you won’t know that!’ [the riff-off being a compilation of songs sang in a cappella style as part of
a competition in the movie] but I know every word of it. I’ve sang it in front of all the girls in the gym – they were like ‘you won’t know it’... turns out I did know it!”
Q: What’s your favourite board game or card game – and do you normally win?
“It’s not really a board game but I’ll say Bananagrams [a faster version of Scrabble, without a board, or scoring]. You get some absolute nuts words when playing it, not that I can remember any. We like to play it as a group, and sometimes it’s more of a bus thing. Do I normally win?
Erm, we often don’t finish it... if the driver is heavy on the brakes, the light pieces go flying straight off!”
Q: What’s the most nervous moment you’ve experienced on a football pitch?
“Probably my [senior] debut for Wales [against the Philippines at the 2023 Pinatar Cup, which Wales won 1-0]. By the time I played in the Euros, I wasn’t even that nervous as you know what to expect by then. The first one is when you get the nerves. It was 15 February 2023 –I’ve got a tattoo to remind me of that date.”
Q: What’s the best fan chant you’ve heard about you or any team-mate?
“I have to say the Leah Galton one [to the tune of September by Earth, Wind & Fire]. It literally gets right into your head, and me and Rach will always sing that when we hear it.”
Interview Charlie Ghagan
Our young stopper now has six senior Welsh caps to her name
Safia does love a musical...
Oh, hit me with your best shot!
Bananagramsis moreofabusgame... butifthebusdriver isheavyonthe brakes,thelight piecesgoflying!
Q: What’s a film you’ve seen over 10 times?
“Too many to mention! But the best one I’ve seen over 10 times... I’ll go with Camp Rock [a 2008 TV musical film]. I love that film –it’s unhealthy how many times I’ve seen it, but it’s well into double figures.”
Q: Do you believe in horoscopes?
“Horoscopes? I don’t know what that is! [We briefly explain]. Ah, right! Yes, I believe it in a little bit, but also I don’t really care too much about it. You could tell me my horoscope and I’d be like, ‘ok’!”
Saf’s training-ground chats: unlikely to be about horoscopes (typical Virgo!)
Stands IN THE
↑ Wishing Duncan Barron a happy 48th birthday – love Isla, Zoe and Emelia.
↑ It was Marnie’s 11th birthday on 9 December and she’s here with her Mum, Dave, and best friend, Layla.
↓ Happy 11th birthday, Ariana!
↑ Happy 13th birthday for Boxing Day, Emelia Roberts!
↑ Isla is here for her first game with aunties Jessica and Paige!
● Happy 12th birthday, Nia. Have a fantastic time at the game this afternoon.
● Happy 50th birthday to Rachael, from Ian.
● A very happy 12th birthday to Eoin!
← Happy 12th birthday, Ella! lots of love from Mum, Dad, Lola and all at United!
↑ Happy birthday Nic/Mummy – lots of love, Lisa and Dakota.
↑ Happy birthday, Scarlett. Mum, Dad and Bethany love you lots!
↑ Charlotte Walker is turning 15! Love from Mum, Dad, Nan and Paps.
↑ Happy 19th birthday to identical twins Sophie and Jessica Stocks
● Happy birthday to Denise – enjoy your retirement, lots of love from Sarah.
● Madi is celebrating her final birthday in England before going home to Australia. Lorrie and Georgia will miss you!
GETTING A SEAT ON THE TRAIN HOME
ABSOLUTE LIMBS IN THE STANDS FOR A 90th MINUTE EQUALISER
Choose to experience every moment.
Blundell HANNAH
Live every week on Sky Sports, BBC, and YouTube.
PHALLON’S ECO LINK-UP
Reds’ keeper shares her passion for the environment with youngsters
More than 200 young people from over 30 of Manchester United Foundation’s partner schools were joined by Phallon Tullis-Joyce for our first Eco Reds celebration of the 2025/26 season at Manchester Museum.
Our keeper, a degree-educated marine biologist and certified deep-sea diver, has previously led sessions focused on environmental subjects at our partner schools, including at Stretford High School, close to Old Trafford.
As someone so passionate about celebrating the diversity of the various organisms and ecosystems of our planet, Phallon is the perfect embodiment of the values of Eco Reds, the Foundation’s own environment and sustainability programme. Through this initiative, we aim to give young people the knowledge and skills they need to protect the planet for future generations.
Phallon said: “Manchester Museum was one of the first places I visited when I arrived here two years ago. Being able to connect the Eco Reds with the museum has been really special and so nice to see. All the students
have stepped up to the plate in learning about their ecosystems and sustainability, which showed today. It’s been really special.”
Eco Reds are tasked with sharing the knowledge they gain throughout the season with their peers, to spread awareness about looking after the environment.
The inaugural celebration for the new season saw pupils from more than 30 schools take part in workshops with Sow The City and the University of Manchester, as well as exploring the museum, including the vivarium, where a range of wildlife resides.
Sakhipreet, a student at Dean Trust Ardwick, said: “It was
amazing to meet Phallon and I was fascinated by how she’s adapted two talents, including football and being sustainable. It’s been amazing, I’d love to come here every day!”
Eco Reds is a Players’ Project Pilot, supported by the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association. The Players’ Project Pilot aims to build stronger connections between players, communities and football clubs by putting players at the heart of local projects that help to address important societal issues.
For more on the Foundation, visit mufoundation.org
Phallon poses with some of the many students at the museum event
Setting THE
HAVING OVERCOME A FEW CHALLENGES UPON HER ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND IN 2023, HINATA MIYAZAWA HAS BEEN AT THE HEART OF MANY OF OUR BEST DISPLAYS THIS TERM. WE SPEAK TO THOSE WHO HAVE FOLLOWED HER CAREER CLOSELY, AS WELL AS HINI HERSELF, TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MAKES HER TICK...
Rhythm
A brilliant clip began to do the rounds on social media shortly after we beat Brighton in January.
You may recall it. Maya Le Tissier and Hinata Miyazawa stood side-by-side, speaking to Sky Sports about a comprehensive 3-0 victory in Leigh. Captain Maya described it as “a very good team performance” before the topic of conversation quickly shifted to a specific individual. The one by her left shoulder, to be exact, who smiled as she made eye contact with an assembly of colleagues watching the TV interview from close by.
“She’s magic – a ‘mini Modric’, we like to call her,” Le Tissier beamed as she revealed the squad’s nickname for Miyazawa, soon to be presented with the Player of the Match award – to cheers from those huddled just out of shot – after the latest in an impressive run of midfield performances.
“Not Modric!” Hinata quickly fired back, her humble character and personality attempting to play down any praise, let
Words: Mikey Partington
alone comparisons to Luka, the Ballon d’Or-winning star that plays in the same position as her. But Maya continued with her rave review: “She’s the nicest girl and a lot of her work on the ball and off the ball goes unnoticed. She’s had to work hard to get into the team and now she’s cemented her spot, she’s one of our best players every single week. Credit to her and what a great player she is.”
A great player that United fans have had the pleasure of watching for much of 2025. Miyazawa has started 33 of the team’s 35 outings this year and, alongside Maya, is one of only two players to have been in the starting XI for every game so far this term.
She passed the 50-appearance yardstick for the club in September’s win away to London City and is now hurtling towards the century mark. The Japan international’s importance to Marc Skinner’s side is growing and she could be the first player born outside of Europe to achieve the 100-game feat for United.
As her tally increases, so does the band of inspired nicknames. ‘Hiniesta’, a nod to legendary Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta, is another clever invention going round in United circles.
“I am very happy that everyone has given me a variety of nicknames,” Hini laughs as we get her latest take during a sit-down chat at Carrington last month, two days after another win over Brighton. “Both Modric and Iniesta are great players. Whenever I am called by their names, I think I want to be like them. I’d like to become a player worthy of their names.”
BREAKOUT TOURNAMENT
Hinata made a name for herself at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, winning the tournament’s
Iamveryhappy thateveryonehas givenmeavariety ofnicknames!
Golden Boot after scoring five goals in an exciting Japan side that were tipped as title contenders before their quarter-final exit to Sweden. Miyazawa was at the heart of her nation’s group-stage campaign, bursting into the 18-yard box to net braces against Zambia and eventual champions Spain – the latter in an eye-catching 4-0 rout – before getting on target again in a last-16 victory over Norway.
Shining at a major tournament was nothing new for Hini, though. After all, she was a key member of the Japan squads that won the U20 World Cup in 2018 and finished runners-up at the U17 equivalent in 2016.
But for the speedster who had enjoyed a successful five-year club career in her country’s top flight after graduating from high school, this was a maiden senior World Cup and a first chance to shine on the biggest of stages – and shine she did.
Less than a month later, Hinata was touring our Carrington training ground in the early-September sunshine, as a new United signing.
“There was a lot of excitement when she came to England, off the back of that Women’s World Cup where she’d won the Golden Boot and performed so well in a Japanese team that really caught people’s eye,” recalls Emma Sanders, senior women’s football news reporter at BBC Sport, who was Down Under
Another POTM award for the collection in this season’s away win at Liverpool
MANCHESTER UNITED
covering the competition in Australia and New Zealand. “When you play for a country like Japan, where the way that they play is so much about the fluidity within the team and less about individual quality, it’s actually quite hard to stand out. So, for Miyazawa to win the Golden Boot shows just how strong of a tournament she had.
“She was everywhere in that Japanese team and it’s something a lot of people took away from Japan in that tournament, that a lot of these players have got the ability to play anywhere on the pitch because they have the skillsets, the qualities, then it’s just about learning about each other’s movement and the opposition as well, how they can exploit those spaces. That’s what Miyazawa does so well for Japan and she’s obviously translated that now with United.”
TURNING POINT
Hini is honest, however, in admitting she didn’t enjoy the smoothest of transitions into English football.
“[The Women’s Super League’s] speed and physicality are very different from Japan, and at the beginning I struggled with the difference in intensity of play,” the former Tokyo Verdy Beleza and Mynavi Sendai star admirably confesses in our conversation.
A move from the other side of the world, involving learning a new language and playing for one of the globe’s biggest clubs in one of its best leagues was always going to take some time, but Miyazawa’s bid to settle was made even tougher when she suffered a fractured ankle while on international duty in December 2023, just as she was beginning to build up some momentum.
The injury sidelined our no.20 until March of the following year but, despite being fit again, she’d only start four of the Reds’ next 17 fixtures and was still to properly nail down a role in the side. Across those four outings alone, Hini played as a central box-to-box midfielder and a wide forward – the position from which she caught the eye at the World Cup.
A solution was needed, and it came via a conversation that involved Miyazawa and head coach Skinner in pre-season ahead of 2024/25.
“We were at the summer camp in my second season, I hadn’t played as much as I liked, so we discussed where they wanted to use me. Marc told me what he thought, and I told him my opinion. I think it was a turning point,” Hini says, when we ask her how it came about that she would begin to operate as a deep-lying ‘no.6’ for United, a position she has very much made her own over the last year.
“There were many players in the forward line who were stronger and faster,” she continues. “Rather than competing with these players, I thought I was able to make them play in better conditions. I could play a role to connect with players [as a no.6], contribute to build-ups [of play] and change the rhythm of the team. I thought it was most suitable for me in this team.”
Skinner also remembers the crossroads chat, while speaking to us in his Carrington office during the November international break. “We had a conversation with Hini and I said: ‘Let’s look at something else. I think in this league, you’re a midfielder because you read the game better than anybody else. You have a fantastic first touch.’
Above January’s win at Brighton had so many people singing Hini’s praises Left The midfielder’s dedication at the training ground has been equally impressive to see
“We had wide invasive forwards that were quicker, stronger and so there was no place for her to fit in that frontline. We tried her a couple of times, she wasn’t really getting in. In training, we always saw her technical quality. At the time we were transitioning Zel [Katie Zelem] away and other players from midfield, so we were like: ‘Right, the space is there, learn the game.’ And she has never looked back.”
SETTLING DOWN
Hinata went on to start at the base of United’s midfield in a 4-0 win over Liverpool last December
and would relinquish that position in just two of that league campaign’s remaining 13 games, as her all-round quality came to the fore in the new role.
The aforementioned triumph over Brighton saw a standout performance, as did the team’s first-ever away victory at Manchester City one week earlier, with her eye for a pass, developing tenacity in duels and intelligence to control a match all features that would see her become an important and popular member of the side that celebrated European qualification come May.
“To adopt that change of position is common, but the scale in which she’s progressed in the role isn’t common,” says Sanders. “The way she’s improved at such a speed, the way she’s taken on those new positions and adapted so quickly, I think is what’s been so impressive. Credit has to be given to Marc Skinner as well, with the way he’s been patient, allowed her to adapt to the position and given her that freedom to find her space within the team. When you’ve got a player like Miyazawa, who is so intelligent, you know eventually it’s going to click and that’s exactly what’s happened.”
A successful partnership with Dominique Janssen was also key to Miyazawa’s emergence in the midfield engine room. This season, Janssen has shifted into a more familiar centre-back role, but Hini’s progress has continued primarily next to another seasoned performer, in Julia Zigiotti Olme, our summer signing from Bayern Munich.
“I really enjoy playing with Hini, she’s a brilliant player and very easy to play with,” Zigiotti said in a press conference earlier this term, sharing an
shemightnotbeableto speakEnglish,butshe speaksfootball.she’s alwaysastepahead --marcskinner
insight into her midfield colleague. “We don’t have to talk that much on the pitch, we just look at each other and know what the other one is thinking. It’s been a real pleasure playing with her.”
Hini concurred when we spoke to her recently – her answer about Julia, strikingly similar to the one given by her team-mate, showing that the pair are not only in sync on the pitch.
“Playing with Julia is a lot of fun,” Miyazawa states, smiling as she talks about her colleague in Japanese. “Although I can’t speak English very well, I understand what Julia wants to do only with eye contact. We can play only by seeing each other’s position. It is very easy and fun to play with her. I have been building a good relationship with her, playing games with her. For the team, in terms of controlling games, I think we are playing our roles very well.”
Last month’s Manchester derby was the first time United lost when both had started this season, their 13th game together. They are two players getting the best out of each other and their chemistry is an emerging feature of Skinner’s current side.
“Zigi does the dirty work and Hini does the kind of breaking up [of the game], she gets called a pendulum because she just keeps the rhythm,” the boss explicates, describing two of the players he has available to select from his multiskilled midfield group. “Hini can link the backline, but she can also link play behind that and read the game. Because she reads the game, she controls transitions so much better. They’ve made a really great partnership in there.”
THE NEXT STEP
It’s been a big 12 months for Hini. While establishing a place in our team, the midfielder from the city of Minamiashigara – an hour’s drive south of Tokyo – also won the SheBelieves Cup with Japan in February and celebrated her 50th senior international cap in October.
Putting pen to paper for the Reds in 2023
So, what’s next? “At United, playing in the Champions League and winning the league title are our aims,” she answers, when we ask about targets going forward. “In the national team, we have ambitions to perform our best and win the World Cup and the Olympics. But more importantly, personally, I’d like to be a player whom a lot of fans support and love.”
The last box is already ticked going into 2026. Hinata is a fan favourite in the stands here, and that shouldn’t change any time soon.
Skinner notes during our conversation that a new contract is being looked at for the midfielder – a magic midfielder made for Manchester United. Not Modric, in her words, but Miyazawa.
“She’s humble and she fits a Manchester United spirit where it’s hard-working, but she adds flair and creativity, which is Manchester summed up for me,” the boss concludes. “She’s so important to us, the way we want to play, the way we see ourselves playing in the future and I’d say that she might not be able to speak English, but she speaks football. Whatever she’s learned, however she’s taken it on board, she’s always a step ahead.
“She’s the type of player that’s a pleasure to coach, pleasure to see, pleasure to speak with. Everybody needs a Hini in their team. Thankfully we’ve got her.”
HINATA BY NUMBERS
7 Minutes missed so far this season for the Reds throughout all of our 19 games played to date – after she was subbed in the 83rd minute away to Wolfsburg.
5
Hini’s this many appearances short of 200 in her senior club career, having played 85 times for Tokyo Verdy Beleza, 46 for Mynavi Sendai, and 64 for the Reds.
Caps won for Japan in 2025 alone – taking her to 53 in total for her country. Five of her nine Japan goals came in the 2023 World Cup as she won the Golden Boot.
7
Shirt number she wears for Japan, while she previously wore no.9 for Mynavi Sendai. The only other players to wear no.20 for us? Kirsty Smith and Aissatou Tounkara.
The 26-year-old also has big ambitions for her national team in the years ahead
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
The only opponent United have faced in every league season since the Reds were reformed in 2018, Tottenham have never had much luck in this fixture, to put it mildly – today they will be seeking a first win at the 16th attempt. Even though the Londoners successfully followed us out of the second tier at the end of that maiden campaign, the 4-1 and 5-1 United wins as both sides won promotion were stark. The first time Spurs visited Leigh in a WSL setting came in January 2020 – a game most memorable for the dense fog – with our 3-0 win serving as a forerunner of what was to come: the same result in our favour has occurred on three further occasions here in Leigh, most recently in October 2024. Whether home or away, Spurs have pushed us at times, though – none more so than in Leigh in April last year, when we needed a Maya Le Tissier goal in injury-time to salvage a 2-2 draw in the WSL.
RECENT FORM
Spurs have seen much change since the end of last season, and after recording their worst WSL finish (11th) in 2024/25, they come into this weekend just a point outside the top three. Attacker Olivia Holdt credits new boss Martin Ho, saying “he’s brought a great style of football and a lot of confidence,” and Spurs’ six WSL wins is already more than last term’s tally of five. September’s 1-5 defeat to Man City has proved an outlier, with Chelsea labouring to a 1-0 win and Arsenal frustrated in a 0-0 stalemate. Last time out, a late winner from Holdt (left) sealed a 2-1 win over Aston Villa. Injuries are an issue, with Cathinka Tandberg, Charli Grant, Olga Ahtinen, Ella Morris, Luana Buhler, Maite Oroz and Jess Naz all sidelined, but there’s talent and belief in abundance in Ho’s squad.
All ready for action against Villa last weekend – a game in which they’d score twice in the closing stages to win 2-1
WHO TO LOOK OUT FOR...
Formed: 1985 (as Broxbourne Ladies)
Nickname: Spurs, the Lilywhites
Best achievements: FA Cup runners-up, 2023/24; WSL fifth place, 2021/22
Last season: WSL 11th place, FA Cup fourth round, League Cup quarter-finals, top scorer (all comps): Bethany England (8) Record v United: P15 W0 D2 L13 F7 A43
The aforementioned Olivia Holdt joined Spurs from Swedish club Rosengard partway through last season but has really found her feet since the summer. “I think I’ve settled well now,” she remarked in October. The Denmark international can play on either flank, although she’s started each of the last four WSL games operating centrally as a no.10. In defence, Australian Clare Hunt (below) is the only Spurs outfielder to play every minute in the WSL so far this season. She marshals a backline that has kept four clean sheets to date, with keeper Lize Kop jointly leading the Golden Glove race alongside Hannah Hampton. Teenage Japanese centre-back Toko Koga was an unused substitute against Villa last weekend but had previously partnered Hunt in all nine WSL games, so it’ll be interesting to see who sits in central defence today.
LAST LINE-UP
the leaders
After three years as an assistant under Casey Stoney and Marc Skinner here at United, current Spurs boss Martin Ho will return to Leigh as a familiar face to many fans. In the 35-year-old’s own words, he “found himself” as a coach while at United. Ho spread his managerial wings by joining Brann in 2023, taking the Norwegian club all the way from the Champions League qualifying rounds to the quarter-finals. He succeeded Robert Vilahamn at Spurs in July. On the pitch, skipper Bethany England’s equaliser against Aston Villa was her third WSL goal of the season and her 85th since debuting in the top flight for Doncaster Rovers Belles in 2012 – only Vivianne Miedema (89) has scored more on the league’s all-time list. Tandberg’s enforced absence opens the door for the 31-year-old Barnsley-born forward to return to the no.9 role she’s known for after playing deeper earlier in the season.
Merseyside-born Ho has enjoyed a strong start with the club
PLAYED FOR BOTH
CAN YOU FIND SEVEN PLAYERS (LISTED BELOW) WHO HAVE REPRESENTED BOTH UNITED AND TOTTENHAM?
J X U S U N A M C M U T
H M U M B J Q N Y Z H H
K C R U S A N E T O U T
C P A N N M B B M C Z I
L P S N O E A A A S D E
I M V O U S S I N B R Q N C H D H T A L L F F O T K F T C U F X A L Q B
O K Y E V R F R Z K I A
N F Y Z U N H O I Z I W
J Q W I Y E H E G N H M
G T Z B X R E Y I Y P B
CLINTON
BIZET DONNUM
MCMANUS
MIKALSEN
THOMAS
Turner team-mate answers: Ona Batlle, Mary Earps, Lauren James, Millie Turner
STATS
AT THE BACK
WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE TABLE, 2025/26
UNITED APPEARANCES & GOALS, 2025/26
WSL TOP SCORERS, 2025/26
TWENTY IS PLENTY...
Today could see Melvine Malard, Hinata Miyazawa, Maya Le Tissier, Ella Toone and Julia Zigiotti Olme become the first Reds to play 20 times for us this season – each has a full-house of appearances to date (19, a vast number considering we’re in December). The record for a whole campaign is 33 games, achieved by Le Tissier (inset), Hannah Blundell and Toone in 2023/24. It’s a tally that’s likely to be beaten this term.
UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TABLE,
WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE
pREVIeW
WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE FOUR FIXTURES BEING PLAYED ELSEWHERE TODAY...
There’s been a busy lunchtime of WSL action in progress while United have been preparing for kick-off in this afternoon’s match against Spurs. Leicester City hosted London City Lionesses at the King Power Stadium, kicking off at 11.55am, in an encounter between two sides looking to bounce back from defeats in the last round of WSL fixtures. The visitors took the better overall form into the fixture, however, with their defeat at home to Brighton on 7 December having followed a sequence of four WSL wins out of five – whereas for the Foxes, a 3-0 home reverse to Manchester City on the same day was their second loss in succession and made it eight WSL matches in a row without a victory.
Kicking off at the same time in Chigwell today is a bottom-of-the-table clash between West Ham and Liverpool. The Merseysiders sat rock bottom at the time of writing with two points from nine matches –though they did have a game in hand, played against Aston Villa on Thursday, after this programme had been sent to press. Hosts West Ham were only marginally better off with their tally of four, but will be encouraged by the fact that their one WSL win and sole draw both came within the last three matches, and that they pushed United in a narrow 2-1 loss in Leigh last time out. It’s a huge match for both teams. Brighton host Chelsea at Broadfield Stadium in another 11.55am kick-off. The visitors will be smarting from their shock 1-0 home defeat to Everton last Sunday, a result that means they had gone three WSL games without a victory prior to today – and trailed Manchester City by six points in their defence of the title. By contrast, Brighton go into the game buoyed by a sequence of three WSL matches without defeat, including consecutive victories at London City and home to Leicester in the last two rounds of fixtures.
In the other early kick-off today, Manchester City aimed to consolidate their position at the top of the table at home to Aston Villa. Andree Jeglertz’s Blues
Thebottom-of-the-table clashinChigwelltodayis ahugeoneforbothteams
have been in terrific form since defeat at Chelsea at the start of the season, winning all nine of their WSL matches since. Villa go into that tough-looking clash on the back of two WSL defeats – though United can testify to their threat on their day, the Midlanders having claimed a 1-0 win at Leigh in November.
The one match played yesterday was Arsenal’s visit to Everton. After today’s game, the WSL will break until fixtures resume in January.
The champions will want to bounce back from a shock defeat
West Ham’s display against United last week will give them belief
ADDED-TIME QUIZ
CAN YOU GET FULL MARKS IN OUR REDS-THEMED TEST?
1
Elisabeth Terland scored home and away against Tottenham in the WSL last season, but which Red matched this feat against Spurs in the preceding campaign?
2 What word follows Hofstra and Orlando to form the names of the two US sides ex-Red Amy James-Turner has played for: Pride or Storm?
3 Rachel Williams won the WSL Golden Boot in which season: 2010/11 or 2013/14?
4 Which current Reds midfielder provided two assists in the 2024 FA Cup final win over Spurs?
5 Aside from 2025/26 debutants London City Lionesses, against which current WSL side have United played the fewest top-flight games, with eight?
6 Which former United defender was the first to have played for the club who’d go on to earn 100 England caps?
7 Name the last three players to score a penalty for the Reds (excluding shoot-outs).
8 Of opponents we’ve faced in at least 10 competitive games, against which side do United have the best win percentage, with 86.67 per cent? (Clue: they’re from London.)
9 Which two Scotland internationals scored in United’s first WSL game against Spurs – a 3-0 away win in October 2019?
10 At which Yorkshire club did Leah Galton begin her career?
5. Liverpool; 6. Alex Greenwood;
Ella Toone, Katie Zelem and Maya Le Tissier; 8. Tottenham Hotspur; 9. Kirsty Hanson and Jane Ross; 10. Leeds United
25/26 THIRD JERSEY
MANCHESTER UNITED WOMEN
Head coach Marc Skinner
Kayla Rendell (GK)
Anna Sandberg
Gabby George
Maya Le Tissier
Hannah Blundell
Ella Toone
Jess Park
Melvine Malard
Elisabeth Terland
Leah Galton
Fridolina Rolfo
Simi Awujo
Jayde Riviere
Celin Bizet Donnum
Lisa Naalsund
Dominique Janssen
Julia Zigiotti Olme
Hinata Miyazawa
Millie Turner
Rachel Williams
Mared Griffiths
Safia Middleton-Patel (GK)
Tamira Livingston
Jessica Anderson
Sienna Wareing
Scarlett Hill
Phallon Tullis-Joyce (GK)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR WOMEN
Head coach Martin Ho
Lize Kop (GK)
Charlotte Grant
Ella Morris
Amy James-Turner
Molly Bartrip
Amanda Nilden
Jessica Naz
Bethany England
Maite Oroz
Olivia Holdt
Josefine Rybrink
Matilda Vinberg
Clare Hunt
Kit Graham
Martha Thomas
Lenna Gunning-Williams
Cathinka Tandberg
Olga Ahtinen
Luana Buhler
Drew Spence
Eveliina Summanen
Eleanor Heeps (GK)
Ashleigh Neville
Araya Dennis
Toko Koga
Radbourne (GK)
Jackson (GK)
Referee Emily Heaslip Assistants Ruby Sykes, Lorraine Catchpole Fourth official William Davis