Sheffield United

Despite suffering relegation from the second tier last season, Blackburn Rovers' decision to pull out of WSL 2 has given Sheffield United, whose best finish to date is fourth, a reprieve.

Founded in 1857, the Blades first hosted a women's match in front of 1,000 paying fans in 1881 and are now looking to turn their fortunes around under head coach Ash Thompson.

Manager: Ash Thompson

In his second campaign in charge, Ash Thompson will be aiming to make the most of Sheffield United’s lifeline in the WSL 2 and build on a challenging season. 

After Luke Turner’s exit in July 2024, Thompson stepped up as women’s team manager, retaining Turner in the coaching team as his assistant. 

A former Fulham academy player, where he spent two years training from the age of 16, Thompson moved quickly into coaching and has built career across development and senior roles. 

He first made his mark at Guiseley AFC, leading a restructure of their youth system as Technical Director of Youth Development from 2018, while also serving as First Team assistant manager. 

Thompson then joined Sheffield United in 2021 as development team manager, helping develop talents such as Eva Butler, Grace Foy and Liv Edwards. 

His success with youth players led to a new position as Under-21s head coach, where he guided the Professional Game Academy side to the PGA Cup title in 2023 before moving into the senior role.