What a week of announcements in the BWSL

What a week! Big games, retirements, players leaving, others staying… it’s been a busy seven days across the BWSL. Here’s a recap of the big announcements…

Catley stays in N5

Arsenal’s no.7 Steph Catley becomes the first of two players – alongside Leah Williamson (see below) – to extend her stay in north London.

The Australian joined the Gunners in 2020 and has made 165 appearances since making the switch from Melbourne City. The 32 year old, who has played both on the left and in the centre of defence, has won two Subway League Cup titles, the UEFA Women’s Champions League and FIFA Champions Cup. She also earned a Ballon d’Or nomination in 2025.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” explained Catley on the club’s official website.

Brighton moving home

Brighton & Hove Albion announce that they’ll be building a new ‘Built For Her’ 10,000-seater stadium specifically for the women’s team.

“It’s really exciting times,” said manager Dario Vidošić. “A major breakthrough.”

Described as the UK and Europe’s first purpose-built stadium, the new arena will provide bespoke facilities for Brighton's women's team, its staff and the club's supporters, and the club hope to move in for the 2030-31 season, subject to planning permission.

Bright hangs up the boots

Millie Bright announces her retirement from football, ending a glittering career at the top of the women’s game.

"Representing Chelsea over the last 12 years has been everything to me, but I'm now ready to say goodbye to playing football," said Bright. "I've given all I can, and I never wanted to fight for any other badge. "It is now time, and I'm ready to go into a new era. I'm always going to be Chelsea, but just in a different way."

A six-time WSL winner – Bright helped Chelsea lift the trophy in six successive seasons between 2020 and 2025 – she ends her spell in south London having made 314 appearances for the club. Of those, her 214 in the BWSL is a league record. In that time, she also won the Subway League Cup four times.

To read our full tribute, click here.

England on the move

Tottenham Hotspur announce that striker Bethany England will leave the club at the end of the season when her contract expires. England, 31, arrived in north London midway through the 2022-23 campaign with Spurs struggling at the bottom end of the BWSL table, and she made an instant impact. She scored 13 goals in 14 games in all competitions, 12 in the BWSL, helping the Lilywhites climb to safety.

Given the captain’s arm band ahead of 2023-24, England led the side to their first ever Women’s FA Cup final, scoring some key goals along the way, including a last-minute equaliser against Manchester City in the quarter-final.

Overall, England netted 38 goals, 32 coming on league duty. She leaves Spurs as their all-time leading goalscorer in the BWSL, and the first player to score over 25 goals with two different teams. She also surpassed 200 BWSL games, only the sixth player to do so.

Four make way

Spurs also reveal that Amy James-Turner, Luana Bühler, Charlotte Grant and Josefine Rybrink will leave at the end of the season.

James-Turner joined Spurs in 2022 from Orlando Pride and made 53 appearances, scoring twice, and started in the Women’s FA Cup final in 2024. Bühler has suffered with injury this season but also started at Wembley against Manchester United. The Swiss international has made 30 appearances in all, scoring once, against Charlton Athletic.

Grant joined in January 2024 and was another key part of the historic cup run. An effective full-back, she’s made 35 appearances in total, also scoring once, against Southampton in the Women's Subway League Cup.
Finally, Rybring leaves after two seasons in north London. Joining in the winter of 2024, she made 19 appearances, her versatility enabling her to play along the back line.

Williamson signs on

There was further good news for Arsenal when skipper Leah Williams announced she was signing a two-year contract extension.

The 29-year-old defender joined the Gunners aged nine after her first training session a year earlier, and she has spent her whole career at the club, racking up an impressive 282 appearances since making her senior debut in 2014.
In that time, she’s won the BWSL, two FA Cups, four Subway League Cups and the Women’s Champions League.

Coombs calls time

Finally, in a week of big announcements, Laura Coombs announced her retirement; she’ll hang up her boots at the end of the 2025-26 season.

“I’m so excited to be a fan of this team in the future,” Coombs said.

“What they’re trying to build here, I think it’s incredible. The way Manchester City are putting our women’s team in a position to really go on and be successful long-term is so exciting. I’m very glad I got to play a part in that.”

“She’s been such a great ambassador for Liverpool and Manchester City,” said Liverpool boss Gareth Taylor of the former Red.

“She’s such a good player, such a good professional, she’s given a lot to all of the teams she’s represented. She’s played at the World Cup Finals, which she deserved, and she’s just a top person. She’s very well thought of by everyone here and at Manchester City.”

The 35-year-old started at Arsenal as a teenager, and she leaves the game having played for some of the country’s biggest clubs, and having played a role in helping England to a first World Cup final in Australia and New Zealand.

To read our tribute, click here.