The Barclays WSL2 Rising Star is...
It’s been a big year for defenders, and another in BWSL2 has earned recognition from Nike as one of the most exciting rising talents in the game.
Birmingham City’s Neve Herron, a versatile centre back who has been at City since the summer of 2023, has been a cornerstone of the club’s promotion campaign this season as Birmingham returned to the nation’s top tier as champions.
Herron’s form comes as no surprise. She picked up the Young Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards at the end of her first season, and in 2023-24 scored two goals in her second campaign as Birmingham narrowly missed out on promotion.
Her third season, in 2026-27, has been encapsulated by the part she’s played in a resilient defence alongside the more experienced Martha Harris, Rebecca Holloway and Gemma Lawley. No doubt she’s learned from her peers, but this year the learning process has been reciprocated, and together they kept eight clean sheets.
Neve has racked up 1,574 minutes over the course of the season, making appearances in all 21 matches and starting 18 of them, cementing herself as a reliable defender at only 20 years old. She excelled in defensive and aerial duels, bringing the ball out of the back, and starting attacks from deep.
This season, Neve made her 50th appearance in Blue, against Newcastle, a remarkable achievement so soon in her career.
“As a player I’ve definitely developed since I’ve been at the club,” she told the club’s official YouTube channel. “Amy [Merricks, Birmingham’s head coach] has done a lot of work with us individually and as a team, and I’m only going to get better and learn more, so I’m really excited to see how that goes.”
Neve also made valuable appearances for the club in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup (4) and the Subway League Cup (2), in which she also netted.
It’s not long now until we will see Herron showing off her skills and talent in the Barclays Women’s Super League against the country’s best. No doubt she’ll be relishing the opportunity.
Word Credit: Rochelle Barnham