A new hope for Ipswich

English football welcomed back a familiar face when England youth star Princess Ademiluyi joined Ipswich Town on loan for the rest of 2026.

The 19 year old returns to BWSL2 after a previous stint at Charlton Athletic on loan from West Ham United, where she was the first player to progress through their foundation player pathway to the senior team.

The forward has decided to take a break from her duties with NWSL side Gotham FC to display her skills in England once again. And since joining Ipswich in February, Ademiluyi has shown exactly what she’s made of, with her name quickly becoming a talking point in the league.

Rise of the super sub

Having already made her BWSL debut aged just 16 years old, it was no surprise that her BWSL2 debut was a successful one. In February, Ademiluyi came on as a second-half substitute against Portsmouth, immediately getting involved in a run that contributed to Ipswich’s second goal, a crucial strike that gave Ipswich the lead and which resulted in three points against relegation rivals Portsmouth.

Ipswich’s technical director Sean Burt described the youngster as a “completely different profile of striker” with her dynamic threat, one which Ipswich had been missing until her arrival. With Ipswich sitting deep in the relegation zone, they need players like Ademiluyi to bring a new sense of variety on game days.

New arrival, immediate impact

Ademiluyi’s first goal showed exactly what her opponents should be fearful of, and was the perfect showcase of exactly why Ipswich signed her. Moreover, her strike came at a crucial moment in a 2-1 victory over Durham, who now sit just two points above Ipswich in the table. A high press saw midfielder Kyra Robertson intercept and win the ball before slipping a diagonal through-ball through the Durham defensive line. Ademiluyi used her pace to beat the offside trap, taking just one touch to settle the ball, moving it to the right of the penalty area before firing a low, powerful shot straight into Durham’s net.

Now, hopes are high that the forward will become the cornerstone of Ipswich’s attack, and that her experience in both the NWSL and BWSL will come in clutch for the crucial end-of-season run-in.

Eyes down for the games that matter

Ademilyuyi describes herself as a player who likes to “make things happen”, and it seems Ipswich have got it right this time, with the Gravesend-born striker adding a “new dimension” to Ipswich’s attack.

Her arrival and subsequent goal and assist have already galvanised Ipswich to the extent that they have everything to play for with three games to go. First up is arguably the biggest of the lot, a crucial game against Sheffield United which could see Ademilyuyi and co. leapfrog the Blades with a home victory. A tricky task at leaders Birmingham City follows before the last game of the season against Sunderland.

And yet while we have no idea what will happen in the remaining fixtures, you can guarantee Ademilyuyi will feature in Ipswich’s attempts to beat the drop.

Word credit: Taylor Simpson-Ward