Birmingham City Women are delighted to announce the return of goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley.
Born in Derby, Baggaley came through Derby County's Centre of Excellence before joining Birmingham City's Academy in 2013 at the age of 16. After a year in the pathway, she progressed into the senior squad and made her debut in May 2014 as Blues defeated Yeovil Town 2-1 in the Continental Cup. She went on to make 27 appearances during her first spell in B9.
Following a loan spell with Bristol City during the 2017/18 season, Baggaley made the move permanent and spent the next three years in the West Country, making 90 appearances.
A two-year spell at Manchester United followed before the goalkeeper joined Brighton & Hove Albion in 2023. She was voted the Seagulls' Players' Player of the Season in her debut campaign and went on to make 42 appearances during her three years with the club.
Baggaley has represented England at every age group from Under-17 through to Under-23 and has been involved in multiple senior Lionesses squads. Most recently, she was called up for England's FIFA Women's World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Ukraine last month.
Sophie Baggaley said: "When you start your career somewhere, you always have a soft spot for it. Birmingham helped build the foundations for my career and hopefully now I can give a little bit back.
"The club has been through so many different stages over the last few years, but it's clear how much Birmingham has invested in the women's team and I'm really excited to be part of that."
Head Coach Amy Merricks said: "Sophie knows what it means to represent Birmingham City and she's returning as a far more experienced player than when she was here early in her career.
“She has built up a lot of WSL experience over the last few years, and she'll add real quality, leadership and competition to our goalkeeping group. We're excited to have her back."
