Aston Villa’s Lucy Staniforth to retire at the end of season

The 33-year-old joined Villa back in January 2023 from Manchester United and quickly cemented her place in the heart of the team’s midfield.

Birmingham: English football club Aston Villa Women midfielder Lucy Staniforth has announced her retirement from professional football on Thursday.

The 33-year-old will bring an end to a remarkable 16-year-long professional career at the end of the season.

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The 33-year-old joined Villa back in January 2023 from Manchester United and quickly cemented her place in the heart of the team’s midfield.

She played 17 times in the second-half of the 22/23 campaign helping the club to their best-ever WSL finish as well as netting her first goal in Villa’s stunning 6-2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.

She went onto make a further 38 appearances in the claret and blue over the next three seasons as she fought against injury setbacks to continue playing her part on the pitch, helping the team to memorable wins over Tottenham Hotspur (24/25), Crystal Palace (24/25) and Leicester City (23/24). Staniforth began her playing career with local club Sunderland, making her senior debut aged only 16-years-old.

She went on to play an important part in the side during her maiden campaign, helping them lift the FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division title as well as reaching the FA Cup final. “To me, it’s really exciting. It’s not something I’ve wrestled with, but it’s definitely been a thought in the back of my mind as I’ve been getting on,” Staniforth told BBC Sport. “I’m really comfortable with the decision. It’s been really cool to take the football lens off and be excited for me, as a person, moving into the big, wide world. “I just feel really at ease with it. I’m super-content with my career and everything that I’ve overcome and achieved,” she added.

Staniforth was also capped at senior level for England after representing the nation at under-17, under-19 and under-20 level.

She made it a debut to remember on September 2018 as she scored in the 66th minute against Kazakhstan in the side’s 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying match.

The 208th player to represent England, Staniforth was selected for the 2019 World Cup squad out in France and came off the bench in their 3-0 win over Cameroon in the round of 16 game.

She made a total of 17 appearances for England between 2018 and 2023, scoring twice.

Aston Villa’s Director of Women’s Football, Marisa Ewers, praised Staniforth for her skills and said that the club will definitely miss her presence. “Having played alongside Stan, I know the qualities she brings both as a player and a person. She has been a valued part of the group during her time at Villa, and while she will be greatly missed around the club, we wish her all the very best for the future,” she said in an official statement released by the club.