Leicester City are assembling a squad designed to return to the Women’s Super League. Sam Tierney is one of the few players who does not need to be told what that journey requires.
The 27-year-old central midfielder has signed a new contract through to the summer of 2028, extending a Leicester career that began in 2020 and has already produced 151 appearances. Tierney helped the club win the WSL 2 title during her first season. Six years later, she remains at the centre of a team preparing to pursue promotion again.
The Link to Leicester’s Last Promotion
Sam Tierney arrived from Sheffield United in the summer of 2020 and immediately became part of Leicester’s Championship-winning side.
That first campaign established the club in the WSL, where Tierney remained a regular throughout the following five seasons. She has since become Leicester’s longest-serving player and one of the most recognisable figures in the squad.
Much has changed around her since that promotion. Leicester have moved through different coaches, reshaped the team and now find themselves preparing for another WSL 2 campaign.
Tierney offers a connection between those different periods. She understands the standards required to win promotion, but she has also experienced what Leicester must improve if their next stay in the top flight is to become more secure.
Continuity in the Middle of Significant Change
Leicester’s summer has already brought substantial turnover. Shannon O’Brien has joined Crystal Palace after her release clause was activated, while Ashleigh Neville has moved permanently to Charlton Athletic. New arrivals include Sarah Mayling and Jessie Stapleton, two defenders signed on three-year contracts as the club builds another version of its squad.
Change is necessary after relegation, but too much of it can leave a team rebuilding its identity at the same time as it tries to win matches.
Tierney provides continuity in the middle of that process. As a central midfielder, she operates in an area that links the team’s defensive and attacking work. Her understanding of Leicester’s environment should also help new arrivals settle into the standards expected from them.
Her value is therefore not limited to preserving the past. It lies in helping a different squad become coherent quickly enough to challenge for promotion.
A Contract That Extends Beyond One Campaign
Sam Tierney’s agreement runs until 2028, taking her commitment beyond Leicester’s first attempt to return to the WSL. The same longer-term thinking can be seen in the three-year contracts handed to Mayling and Stapleton. Leicester are trying to recruit and retain players capable of contributing during a promotion campaign without requiring another complete rebuild if they succeed.
At 27, Tierney is positioned to provide experience without representing a short-term solution. She has accumulated 151 appearances, but still has the opportunity to play a substantial role throughout the next phase of the club’s development.
Loyalty Now Carries a Responsibility
Sam Tierney spoke about her connection to Leicester and the pride she feels wearing the shirt. In a period of change, those emotions matter—but they also create responsibility.
The longest-serving player will be expected to set standards when results become difficult and keep the squad connected to the objective behind the rebuild. Leicester know WSL 2 will not be escaped through reputation alone.
Several players will begin the new season learning what a Leicester promotion campaign demands. Tierney begins it knowing exactly how one feels. Her next challenge is helping a very different team find the same destination.
Source: Leicester City
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