Sam Tierney signs until 2028 after captaining Leicester through WSL relegation

Sam Tierney agreed a new contract with Leicester City in July, extending her stay until 2028 after captaining the club through their relegation from the Women's Super League to WSL 2 in May. The 27-year-old, Leicester's longest-serving player, will lead a squad undergoing a significant summer rebuild.

Fourteen players have left Leicester during the summer transfer window, including nine who featured in the WSL play-off defeat by Charlton Athletic, prompting a major squad overhaul. Goalkeeper Janina Leitzig moved to Manchester United, while Hannah Cain, Noemie Mouchon and Jutta Rantala have joined Everton. Tierney has made 151 appearances for the Foxes and, when explaining her decision to stay, said: "I'm not the type to want to jump ship. Since I've been at Leicester, I've created a genuine connection with the club," Tierney told BBC Sport.

Last season was poor on the pitch, with Leicester winning only two of their 22 matches and finishing with a -41 goal difference, and their relegation mirrored the men's team dropping to League One. That run of results prompted questions about the women's team's future, including whether they would continue playing at King Power Stadium and whether their budget would be reduced. The club permitted players who wanted to leave to do so for transfer fees, and those funds have been used to reinvest in the squad.

Tierney joined Leicester from Sheffield United in 2020 and has worked under seven managers during her time at the club. She was part of the side that earned promotion to the WSL in 2021 and reached the Women's FA Cup semi-finals in 2024. On her commitment to stay and help rebuild, she said: "The type of person I am means I'm not happy if I don't feel like I'm finished somewhere," added Tierney. "The direction the club want to go in and the change that needs to be made to do that, I'm on board with."

Recalling the club's progress, Tierney pointed to earlier conditions when she arrived: "When I first joined Leicester, we were training on one of the local parks. We weren't at Belvoir Drive where the men were. The progression is incredible," she said. She outlined her ambitions for the club: "I want to make sure people want to play for Leicester. I want people to stay at Leicester. I want people to be jealous of Leicester."

Leicester's pre-season has produced a win over Rugby Borough, a draw with Manchester United and a defeat by Liverpool, and the club have added six new signings while three other players renewed their contracts alongside Tierney. On the squad turnover and the club's direction she said: "You can see there's been a reflection period, there's been a review and you can see the direction we want to go in. We can feel that. We've changed," and added, "Players change all the time, every team goes through that, but it's important that everyone coming in has the same drive and desire to commit to it."

Tierney described last season's strain on players and set out the team's objectives for WSL 2: "It's hard as a player. You're trying to give it your all but things just aren't going right," Tierney added. "We want to be an exciting team, we want to be a team on the ball, we want to be a team that's difficult to beat and we want to surprise some people. Of course the aim is to go up. But it's got to be done in a sustainable way because if I sit here this time next year and we're in a worse position, then there's no point. "We're going to make sure we're ready to challenge at the top of this league, get promoted and stay in the WSL for years to come."

Leicester begin their WSL 2 campaign against Sheffield United on 6 September (14:00 BST), with Tierney installed as captain as the club attempts to rebuild and pursue promotion back to the WSL.