Leicester City Women's Rebuild: Sam Tierney Leads the Charge
When Leicester City dropped out of the Women's Super League in May, the relegation did not just close a chapter. It ripped the squad apart.
Fourteen players have gone in the summer window, nine of them involved in the WSL play-off defeat by Charlton Athletic. Janina Leitzig left for Manchester United. Hannah Cain, Noemie Mouchon and Jutta Rantala, the core of Leicester’s attacking threat, all signed for Everton.
What remains is a shell that needs rebuilding, fast, if Leicester are to climb straight back out of the second tier.
In the middle of that upheaval, one decision cut through the gloom.
Tierney stays to lead the rebuild
Sam Tierney, captain, longest-serving player, and the heartbeat of the dressing room, committed her future to the club until 2028 in July. In a summer of exits, her new deal felt like a statement.
The 27-year-old has played 151 times for the Foxes, riding every high and low. She knows exactly what she has signed up for.
"I'm not the type to want to jump ship. Since I've been at Leicester, I've created a genuine connection with the club," she told BBC Sport.
"I wanted to succeed and we've had a good number of years where it's been up and down, but I feel like now we're at a point where we can rebuild.
"I think it's difficult because Leicester, at the minute, gets a bit of a bad rep. The club is fantastic and so are the people.
"It's a family kind of club and we're just going through a change. I am very proud to play for Leicester."
Last season gave them little to be proud of on the pitch. Leicester’s five-year stay in the WSL ended in the same fashion as the men’s side, who tumbled to League One. Two wins from 22 matches. A goal difference of -41. A team that struggled to score and struggled even more to keep the ball out.
The numbers raised uncomfortable questions. Would the women’s side keep playing at King Power Stadium? Would the budget be cut back? Was this the start of a slide?
The club’s answer has been ruthless clarity. Players who wanted to go have been allowed to leave, generating fees to reinvest in a new-look squad. It is a reset, not a retreat.
Whether it will be enough to power a promotion push remains to be seen. Tierney believes this is the chance to build something stronger.
"When I first joined Leicester, we were training on one of the local parks. We weren't at Belvoir Drive where the men were. The progression is incredible," she said.
"I want to make sure people want to play for Leicester. I want people to stay at Leicester. I want people to be jealous of Leicester.
"I know that's the potential of this club and hopefully we'll get that."
From yo-yo fears to long-term vision
Tierney arrived from Sheffield United in 2020. Since then she has worked under seven different managers, experienced promotion to the WSL in 2021 and helped the club reach the Women's FA Cup semi-finals in 2024.
She has seen enough churn to know that change is rarely instant.
The midfielder talks about Leicester becoming “sustainable” in the WSL, not a yo-yo side bouncing between divisions.
"The type of person I am means I'm not happy if I don't feel like I'm finished somewhere," she said.
"The direction the club want to go in and the change that needs to be made to do that, I'm on board with.
"Ultimately, my biggest thing is to make sure people feel the same connection that I have to the club and they want the club to progress.
"The moment that I leave, I want Leicester to be in a better position than when I started here."
Pre-season has already given a glimpse of the new era. Leicester beat Rugby Borough, drew with Manchester United and lost to Liverpool. Six new signings have come through the door, while three other players have joined Tierney in renewing their contracts.
The churn has been dramatic. The mood, she insists, has not.
“We’ve changed” – and now the real test starts
As Leicester build towards their WSL 2 opener against Sheffield United on 6 September (14:00 BST), Tierney senses something different in the air.
"You can see there's been a reflection period, there's been a review and you can see the direction we want to go in. We can feel that. We've changed," she said.
"Players change all the time, every team goes through that, but it's important that everyone coming in has the same drive and desire to commit to it.
"We've got those people and it has been quite refreshing. We want to be a different Leicester and it's time to change the narrative on who we are and how we're seen."
For Tierney personally, this season is a chance to breathe. The constant fear of relegation, the weekly pressure of survival, takes a toll that is rarely visible from the stands.
"It's hard as a player. You're trying to give it your all but things just aren't going right," she admitted.
Leicester want to flip that script.
"We want to be an exciting team, we want to be a team on the ball, we want to be a team that's difficult to beat and we want to surprise some people.
"Of course the aim is to go up. But it's got to be done in a sustainable way because if I sit here this time next year and we're in a worse position, then there's no point.
"We're going to make sure we're ready to challenge at the top of this league, get promoted and stay in the WSL for years to come."
The exodus has happened. The rebuild has started. Now Leicester must prove that Tierney’s loyalty is not just admirable, but the foundation of a club that finally learns how to stay where it belongs.
