Aston Villa Women have signed 20-year-old forward Lily Murphy on loan from Manchester City. The young winger will bolster Villa's attacking options and add pace to the squad. Murphy made her competitive debut in 2024 and has already gained valuable experience at Manchester City. She will play primarily as a left-winger, although she is capable of playing anywhere across the forward line.
What the club said
Director of Football, Marisa Ewers, said: "Lily is an exciting young player who will add pace, directness and further attacking options to our squad."
Style of play
Upon signing for Villa, Murphy discussed why she feels the club is a perfect fit for her. "I'm looking forward to the new challenge and I can't wait to get out there now," she said. "I really like the style of play. It's a very direct team and I think it really fits with how I like to play my game. So, I'm really excited."
An opportunity to develop
At just 20 years old, Murphy understands that playing first-team minutes will be crucial to her development. "It's [progression] super important. I'm really looking forward to getting out there, showing everyone what I can do and just being myself," she said. "I hope to get a lot of minutes. I'm definitely here to compete and fight for my place, so I'm really excited for that."
International career
Murphy is yet to receive her first call-up to the senior Lionesses squad; however, she has played a part for the England youth teams since February 2024, when she debuted for the under-19s. She mentioned that she had spoken to some of her teammates from the Young Lionesses prior to signing for Villa.
The Villa fans
The new loanee expressed that she has heard a lot about the atmosphere created by the Villa faithful. "I've heard it's a tight-knit group and that they follow the team everywhere, so I'm excited to meet them as well," she said. "To the supporters, she said: "I can't wait to see you all out there."
Current context
Aston Villa Women are currently 9th in the FA WSL, with 20 points from 22 games, and are 35 points behind leaders Manchester City W. They have scored 28 goals and conceded 48 this season, with a -20 goal difference.
