Janina Leitzig on gardening and adapting to life and goalkeeping at Manchester United
Janina Leitzig, Manchester United’s new goalkeeper, discussed her gardening hobby and her views on goalkeeping in an interview with the Guardian published on 12 August 2026 as United prepare for pre-season.
The 27-year-old joined United after a three-and-a-half-year spell at Leicester that began as a loan in January 2023 and became permanent the following summer; she signed with Manchester United until 2029 following Leicester’s relegation last term. Leitzig, who previously played for Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim, spent part of her summer surfing in Cornwall and will link up with United’s squad for a La Manga training camp from 14 to 19 August.
On life outside football, Leitzig said gardening was important to her during her time at Leicester. “I love to do some gardening. Back home, everyone has their own vegetables and it’s just better, it tastes better,” she said, adding: “Being away from home and away from family, of course you have your football friends, but still it can be quite lonely sometimes if you come home from training, so it was really nice to have a garden and to spend time outside. It’s not too much effort, it’s just a nice hobby.”
Leitzig explained why Manchester United appealed and described the environment she found at Carrington. “It’s such a big club and it’s such a big honour to be here,” she said. “I think, for every player, it’s really interesting if you have an offer from Manchester United. First of all, the team is so nice. The characters in here – you can tell it’s a really good and strong team. The training quality is really high. The building and the facilities [at Carrington] are really good; it’s really professional here. [When] the conversations were going on [with United], they just gave me a really good feeling.” The interview took place before it was known that the Spanish coach Eva Olid was to become United’s new manager.
On how the role of goalkeepers is changing, Leitzig questioned the recent emphasis on playing out from the back and described what she sees as a rebalancing towards fundamentals. “To be fair, there was one phase where everyone wanted goalkeepers to play with the feet and I think it’s still really important, but I think there was a phase where it was too much. I think it was a bit over exaggerated at times, so I think it’s coming back now to be more about the basic stuff,” she said, adding that her own development was influenced by Manuel Neuer: “I think, because I’m German and Manuel Neuer [her idol] is German, I learned quite early to play with both feet and I was an outfield player initially, so I’m feeling confident about playing with the ball. But saving shots is the best part of goalkeeping.”
Leitzig addressed the goalkeeping situation at United and the competition for the No.1 spot with Phallon Tullis-Joyce. She noted Tullis-Joyce played in 21 of United’s 22 WSL matches last term and said: “They [United] said it’s like a competition [to start in goal]. Obviously it’s really important to have strong goalkeepers, because you never know what happens in the season. I will just give my best, I’ll try to bring quality, and then it’s the manager’s decision to decide who’s going to play. But it’s really important that we are a good goalkeeper team, that we support each other and push each other because then everyone can get better.”
Across wider women’s football news, Ottawa’s TD Place stadium has been chosen to host the Northern Super League final on 14 November, with Ottawa Rapid top of the table and Montreal Roses second as the league enters its second season; last year’s final was staged in Toronto in front of a crowd of 12,429. In the NWSL, Debinha set a new record for the most goals scored (83) across all NWSL competitions during Kansas City’s 1-1 draw with Houston Dash, while Sam Kerr remains the division’s all-time leading regular-season scorer with 79 regular-season goals, including two since her return to Gotham FC. The Portland Thorns confirmed Olivia Moultrie has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in her right knee and has been placed on the season-ending injury list; the 20-year-old wrote on Instagram that “heartbroken doesn’t even begin to sum up” her feelings. Bay FC head coach Emma Coates, on signing Jenna Nighswonger from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee, said: “Her experience in the NWSL and WSL will add another dimension to our group. I believe she has the character and football intelligence to make a strong impact here.” The England forward Aggie Beever-Jones scored a hat-trick against Auckland FC in a pre-season friendly at Eden Park, with Giulia Dragoni also on the scoresheet.
United will travel to La Manga for a training camp from 14 to 19 August before opening the WSL season away to London City Lionesses on 4 September; Leitzig said of the opening fixture: “To have the first game of the season Friday evening, 7pm, floodlights, it’s just something you’re really excited for. Working in the pre-season you think: ‘When can the [games] finally start’, so I’m really excited for that game.”
