Why Man City star Laura Blindkilde Brown can be the answer to one of the Lionesses' longest standing issues

Blindkilde Brown is a player well-known to Wiegman and her staff. Even before she earned her first senior England call-up in November of last year, and debuted in the second of the Lionesses' games in that camp, the 22-year-old will have been a name the manager came across plenty in her regular meetings with the staff who oversee the youth national teams. After all, Blindkilde Brown made her senior club debut as a 16-year-old, became a regular in the Women's Super League at Aston Villa and represented England across the underage levels during all that. She's long been a talent that many in the country have been excited about.

But after bouncing between the senior side and the Under-23s over the course of the past year, Blindkilde Brown has started the new WSL campaign in excellent form for Manchester City, whom she joined in the January transfer window last year, and it is amid that mark she is making on one of the very best sides in the country that she feels primed for a growing role with the senior England team.

It's no great surprise that it has taken a bit of time to get to this point. Joining any club midway through a season is tough enough, but especially when you're a young player trying to take the next step in a big team that has fierce competition for places. City's injury crisis did pave the way for some extra opportunities for Blindkilde Brown last year, though an ankle issue of her own would sideline her for six weeks, and a pretty tricky situation for the team overall, which led to a shock managerial change five days before the League Cup final, didn't help for consistency.

The start of the 2025-26 season has been extremely straightforward in comparison. Under new head coach Andree Jeglertz, Blindkilde Brown has started all-but two of City's first eight games and she has looked excellent, so much so that she was named the club's Player of the Month for September. Her goal-scoring display against London City Lionesses was a particular highlight, though it is her work away from the final third that has perhaps caught the eye most, especially in relation to England's needs.

That's a change for Blindkilde Brown, who has largely been seen as a player for more advanced areas of the pitch in the past. Though capable of operating deeper, she often played behind the striker or even out wide at times, explaining in an interview with GOAL during her Villa days that her aim was to be more of "an impact player" who not only provided assists but scored goals in order to help the team win.

Now, though, she's thriving in a role that takes her closer to the back line than perhaps ever before, at least at club level. It's something that the 22-year-old was doing under City's previous permanent coach, Gareth Taylor, though on a more varied basis. "I don't really mind which position I play. I like the defensive side of it, but I also do like the attacking side of it," she explained, before adding: "It also does help with opportunities, knowing that I can do both."

She has the skillset for any role in midfield, too. "I think the biggest thing with her is her quality on the ball," Emma Coates, England's U23s coach, noted. "Wherever that sits tactically, that's a decision for whoever's making the game plan and [taking into accounting] the players available. But I think with Laura, she's such an exciting player on the ball. Some of the tightness, her ability under pressure, is a pleasure to watch, frankly."

To see Blindkilde Brown bringing that to the table in a deeper role, on a consistent basis, will have been welcome viewing for Wiegman as she looks to build the depth behind Walsh and Stanway. Since the post-Euro 2022 retirement of Jill Scott, who provided great back-up in deeper areas during Wiegman's first tournament in charge, England have welcomed different options into camps, but none have really stuck and made their mark on the squad as the manager would have liked.

Jordan Nobbs, Katie Zelem and Laura Coombs went to the last Women's World Cup to beef up the midfield department, but none have had a call-up since 2023, with Wiegman turning her attention elsewhere. Clinton, who deputised in Stanway's box-to-box role during the Bayern Munich star's injury absence earlier this year, is the closest the manager has come to nailing down another option, though Clinton is still arguably better in the No.10 role.

Fortunately, like Clinton, other players from the youth national teams are starting to put their hands up and mark themselves out as potential candidates for a regular role in England's senior squad. Weekly meetings between Wiegman and the youth national team staff help paint that picture more vividly, too.

"As part of those meetings, we're discussing where players are at and we have a good indication of [the senior team's] depth and maybe injuries, or whatever it might be," Coates explained, discussing that process of moving players up.

That communication shows in Wiegman's October squad, which has seen both Kearns, a regular with the U23s who made her senior debut back in June, and Kendall, her uncapped Aston Villa team-mate, included. The Lionesses need to take a look at some fresh blood in midfield and the pathway has, once again, helped develop players to the point that they are ready for that very opportunity.

But after making her debut last December and being trusted with a standby role for Euro 2025, it's Blindkilde Brown who looks particularly primed for such a chance. In a camp where Wiegman is likely to rotate, given England are playing two friendlies and have some issues in the squad to address, the in-form 22-year-old is one of those who could really benefit.

“With every game I’m just gaining more confidence," she said after her goal-scoring display against London City. "I haven’t played four games on the bounce before at City so it’s something new and I’m really enjoying it. I have to give credit to Andree for believing in me and giving me the opportunity and just saying ‘play freely’."

Now, it's time for Wiegman to pick up that baton, capitalise on that momentum the talented young midfielder has and let Blindkilde Brown show what she can really do in an England shirt in a move that can only benefit the Lionesses as a new tournament cycle commences.