Miri Taylor was on loan from Liverpool last season. She made eight appearances for Aston Villa. Now she is back, and this time Taylor signed a two-year contract with the club. Lee Billiard, Head of Women’s Football said: “Miri had a good loan spell with us last season and she showed her capabilities both in matches and on the training pitch. Miri is a great person to have around the building and we have no doubt she will continue to develop within our environment and play an important role within the squad.” But who is she and what will she add to Aston Villa?
New Manager and New Players
Aston Villa’s previous manager Carla Ward stepped down after last season. Ward dedicated herself to the club, but that took its toll. Ward wanted more time with family but said she would be back in the world of women’s football. This happened sooner rather than later. The former head coach joined Emma Hayes and the USWNT during the Paris 2024 Olympics. Her replacement at Aston Villa: Robert de Pauw.
Dutch manager from Bayer Leverkusen
Robert de Pauw made his way to Aston Villa after he left Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the 2023/2024 season. He spent two years at the German club. Lee Billiard is happy with the signing of the new head coach: “The process we used in order to find the best fit for the managerial position took some time and included a thorough search of the best leagues in women’s football.”
Miri Taylor played for Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and now Aston Villa
The midfielder spent her younger years at Chelsea. There she made her debut at 16 years old in 2016. After a brief stint at Arsenal Miri Taylor decided to move to the United States for college. There she made the 2022 NWSL Draft and was chosen by Angel City. The NWSL club played Taylor as right-wing, centre forward and central midfielder. This gave Taylor a great amount of experience.
The English football player was ready to return to England in 2023. She signed for Liverpool but was sent on loan to Aston Villa after the first half of the season. At Liverpool, Taylor made 11 appearances and scored 1 goal. Next season she will be a great addition to the midfield. A versatile player with a lot to offer.
Interview Miri Taylor at Aston Villa
The midfielder is excited to start the 2024/2025 WSL season with the club: “I’m really buzzing. I love the team, the girls and all the fans. There’s a lot of potential in the team, and with the recent signings and the way we ended last season, I really hope we can take that and be better this season. The appointment of Robert shows where this club wants to be. What he wants to bring and where he wants to take this team shows a lot of confidence and optimism”, Miri Taylor said.
The Aston Villa men secured Champions League football next season. That is something the women’s team will aim for as well next season: “We had a little bit of a stumble at times throughout last season, but the girls knew that, talked about it and openly expressed that it wasn’t where they wanted to be. They didn’t want to come in the bottom half of the table. We’ve already spoken about how after the men got Champions League football that’s what we want to aim for. With the girls that we had, we didn’t show enough quality and enough consistency over the season, but I think this season will be different”, Miri Taylor concluded.
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