The great Maya Le Tissier debate: Why Sarina Wiegman is facing fire from Man Utd, Ian Wright and more over England defender's role

That's because England come into this international break with plenty of questions at centre-back. Leah Williamson, their captain, remains sidelined with an injury she sustained during that title run in Switzerland, with it possible that she misses the Lionesses' November camp as she continues her recovery, too. Combine that with Millie Bright's international retirement, announced last week, and the withdrawal from the squad of Katie Reid, the teenager who had earned a first senior call-up because of how well she's deputised for Williamson in the Arsenal defence, and England are not as blessed as normal with centre-back options this month.

That's not to say they lack bodies in that department. Esme Morgan has been a popular choice with Wiegman in recent times and it is at centre-back that Jess Carter is best, not in the left-back position she was shoe-horned into during the Euros. Lotte Wubben-Moy is another candidate to start as the right-sided centre-back, alongside Alex Greenwood who has seemingly - and deservedly - nailed down the left-sided role, while Grace Fisk is also in the squad after taking Reid's place this week.

None, though, are in the form that Le Tissier is in right now.

It's hard to overstate how well Le Tissier is playing for United right now. Into her second season as the Red Devils' captain, the 23-year-old has been solid as a rock through her team's first 12 games of the new campaign, helping them to qualify for the Women's Champions League proper for the first time and enjoy an unbeaten start to the 2025-26 WSL.

United have kept eight clean sheets in those 12 games, with Le Tissier playing a huge part in that success. No team-mate has made more clearances and only two have made more blocks this term, with her most recent club performance particularly catching the eye. The Red Devils went down to 10 players in the first half, through a controversial red card, but clung onto their clean sheet to win at Atletico Madrid, with Le Tissier coming out on top in all of her duels, blocking three shots and making 10 clearances in a heroic display.

It's not just about her defending, either. That the United captain is leading the WSL in touches is an indication of how she has developed into a conductor in possession. With the ball at her feet, she has completed more passes than any other player in the division, with an accuracy of 87.8 per cent, leading the league for successful passes between 15 and 30 yards and completing more long passes, of more than 30 yards, than any outfielder.

Given her age, Le Tissier has got all the qualities to be a top centre-back for club and country for years to come, and with plenty of room to grow.

So, why does Wiegman see Le Tissier as a right-back? Well, the former Brighton starlet did play there during her days with the Seagulls. Having initially broken into the first team in a central role, then-manager Hope Powell brought in New Zealand stalwart Rebekah Stott in the summer transfer window of 2020, moving Le Tissier out onto the right for a new challenge.

“I told her over the summer she's going to be in that position,” Powell explained at the time. “Her athleticism, her levels of fitness, I think really suit that role. Also, she gives us that extra option as a centre half.”

Then just 18 years old, the defender took to the new role well, helping Brighton to secure a fantastic sixth-placed finish in the WSL and enjoy a run to the FA Cup semi-finals. Unsurprisingly, she was named the club's Young Player of the Year, an accolade she would collect again 12 months later, just before her departure for Manchester.

Le Tissier was playing in the England youth teams at this point and, having been a regular centre-back for the Young Lionesses, most notably captaining the Under-17s to the 2019 Euros, the youngster did start to turn out as a right-back a little more in light of the versatility she was showing at club level. It's notable that this was also happening as Wiegman took charge of the senior team, too, meaning that she will have initially seen a lot of footage of Le Tissier excelling as a right-back, for club and country.

That would have been a welcome sight for Wiegman, too, as the Lionesses team she was taking over didn't have much depth at right-back. Of course, she had Lucy Bronze, the best in the world in that position, but the back-up to her was lacking, so much so that Williamson and Rachel Daly were the options Phil Neville used there, in Bronze's absence, in his final games in charge of England at the start of 2020.

In the five years since, there haven't been many other candidates to emerge, either. In fact, the only other player to really fit the criteria in that time has been Ella Morris, who was handed a first senior call-up back in May. However, the Tottenham defender suffered a devastating ACL injury during that very camp, meaning Le Tissier remains the only player other than Bronze or Daly to be given a proper run-out in the right-back role for England under Wiegman, barring the odd appearance from the bench there for Niamh Charles or Carter.

It's become something of a necessity then, really, just as Daly became that at left-back, especially during Euro 2022, despite being a natural centre-forward. England do not have depth at right-back but they do have an option, in Le Tissier, who has played there before - and played well - and has been steady in that position throughout her three years, and eight caps, to date with the Lionesses.

Given England's abundance of options at centre-back, where Williamson and Greenwood are seemingly always likely to be the first-choice pair at the moment, it's understandable that Wiegman would look to take advantage of Le Tissier's versatility and move her across to right-back on that depth sheet.

But while, for now, it might seem strange for there to be so much debate over whether Le Tissier should, in an admittedly oversimplified sense, be third in the centre-back pecking order or second in the right-back pecking order, there are long-term implications this could all have. After all, Le Tissier is only 23 years old and with the consistent quality she has shown over the last few years at United, she really looks like she can step up to be a real star for England, maybe even a future captain. Yet, she isn't being allowed to show that potential when she gets into camp with the Lionesses because she is not playing in her best position.

If things were different, this week could have been a great opportunity for her. With Williamson out, and Bright retired, at least one person in this England squad is going to get a real chance in the heart of defence in the games against Brazil and Australia. However, despite being the most in-form and outstanding option for such an opportunity, it's likely that, with Bronze only just back from injury, Le Tissier will line-up to the right of whomever receives the nod.

How long until Wiegman's perception changes? Or will it never change? Those are the big questions at the heart of it all and why it has people so up in arms, because Le Tissier could well be a starting centre-back for England for the next 10 years - but only if Wiegman changes her stance on her role.