England's next debutante? Why London City Lionesses star Issy Goodwin could get a call from Sarina Wiegman in 2026

It says a lot about Goodwin that despite London City’s spending after promotion to the WSL this year, she has been one of their stand-out performers. Backed by the billions of Michele Kang, the club from the capital broke the women’s transfer record when they signed Grace Geyoro on deadline day, while the addition of Barcelona youth product Lucia Corrales also cost a fee that ranks among the top 10 in the sport’s history.

They were just two of the 17 signings London City made in the summer, with England international Nikita Parris another notable one when it comes to Goodwin. Could her arrival, or that of experienced Finland forward Sanni Franssi, put the 22-year-old's spot in the team under threat?

It's to her immense credit, then, that Goodwin has started all nine of the club's WSL games so far this season. Make no mistake, she came into the campaign with plenty of hype and status of her own. After all, it was only in September of last year that London City paid a fee that could rise up to £150,000 ($200,000) - a record for Women's Super League 2, the English second tier - to sign Goodwin from Sheffield United. But she has worked incredibly hard to earn, and maintain, the reputation that led to such a switch.

It's not been easy at times, either. Goodwin has dealt with some frustrating injuries in her short career to date, starting back when she was at Aston Villa. Aged 19, despite those setbacks, she signed her first professional deal with the club whose youth set-up she had come through, but wouldn't get the first-team opportunities she was after. As such, in January 2023, Goodwin made the brave decision to mutually terminate her contract and join Coventry United, the club rooted to the bottom of the second tier.

Unsurprisingly, Coventry would be relegated at the end of the season, but Goodwin wouldn't leave the division. After scoring four goals in 10 outings for a team that managed just seven points from 22 games, Sheffield United were happy to pick up the towering striker, who delivered 15 goals in 19 league games in her one and only season in South Yorkshire. 

It was then that London City came in with a record-breaking fee for the young forward and she more than justified it, netting 16 times in 18 outings the following year to help fire the Lionesses to the second-tier title and, with it, promotion.

This season, then, perfectly fits in with Goodwin's track record of rising to the next challenge. Over the last two-and-a-half years, the difficulty has increased bit by bit for the 22-year-old, with her always seeming to take the right-sized step forward in order to learn, develop and improve.

Despite coming into this campaign with essentially no WSL experience, having made only three late substitute appearances in the top-flight while at Villa, she has adapted impressively to lead the London City line in one of the best leagues in the world. "It's a pretty big jump but it's an exciting one," Goodwin said last week. "Any little mistake you make, you're going to be challenged for it."

"The question we asked her at the end of last year is, 'Okay, you've had a really good year in [WSL 2]. What does it look like at the next level?'" Emma Coates, Goodwin's coach for England's Under-23s until her departure from the Football Association this week, recalled. "There's more decisions [to make], you're playing against more experienced players and maybe she can't rely on her physical profile as much, which I thought she could do in the [second tier]. The challenge that she's rising to is contributing to her development as a player."

That's not to say Goodwin has arrived in the WSL as one of the best strikers in the division. She's still only 22, she's playing against a quality of opponent greater than she's ever faced and there are games where, because London City are still adjusting to the league as a group, she isn't getting much service or as many touches on the ball as she'd like. For example, with only 249 touches in the WSL this season, Goodwin is averaging fewer than 28 per 90 minutes, the fourth-fewest in the entire division.

Despite that, the 22-year-old has still made a serious impression. Her two-goal display at Everton in September, to secure a 2-1 win for her team, has been the highlight so far, with her goal-scoring display at former club Villa and her all-round excellent centre-forward performance at home to West Ham other stand-outs.

"For me, Isobel is a perfect example of what I explained at the beginning of the season," Jocelyn Precheur, the London City boss, said after the win over Everton. "We know the biggest challenge for us will be to adapt to the intensity and rhythm of this league. We have the capacity to do it and the players are talented enough to adapt to this league. It’s just a matter of time."

Goodwin has shown her qualities with England as well. After scoring on her first start for the U23s back in February, she has four goals in her last seven games for the Young Lionesses, with her unlucky not to have a greater total having also hit the woodwork a few times in that period.

It's easy to see why Goodwin is making such a splash as she climbs the ranks. She's a towering striker who is as quick as she is physically strong, making her, in the words of Coates, a real "handful" for opponents.

"I think she's really difficult to play against," her former England coach said last week. "Her physical profile, she's quick, she's strong, she can play with her back to goal, she's got speed to run the line, her pressing intent is really good and she knows where the goal is. I think with her now, it's just that bit of consistency, really working on her tightness on the ball and decisions at the top level. I'm excited to see her just find that rhythm and hopefully some more goals as well."

Fortunately, working hard is another strength of Goodwin's, and it's clear when talking to her that she is relishing the challenge of improving her game, especially now she is playing in the WSL week-in, week-out. One particular area she is focusing on is her hold-up play - and she knows the perfect player to look at for tips on how to get better there.

"I look up to Alessia Russo," Goodwin told reporters last month. "Her hold-up play is very good and that's something I've been working on a lot. She's a great player. Her ball striking is also amazing. I want to keep working and hopefully it pays off."

If she wasn't already motivated enough to keep improving, Goodwin would certainly be spurred on by the situations unfolding around her for club and country. Wiegman continues to look to the U23s for new talent to bed into the senior environment, with no fewer than seven debuts handed out by the Dutchwoman this year alone. The most recent of those was to Anouk Denton, who was playing alongside Goodwin for the U23s in the October camp, while the most recent maiden call-up was given to Freya Godfrey, Goodwin's team-mate in the U23s and at London City who joined the Lionesses squad for the first time last week.

In some cases, these new faces are brought in because they can help bolster a position that needs more depth and competition. That certainly applies to Denton, who can play as a full-back on either side. In other cases, Wiegman is calling up prospects who play a position that is well-stocked, but who she wants to see in the senior environment because they have really caught the eye. Godfrey would tick that box a little more.

Goodwin, meanwhile, may fill both criteria. She's been brilliant for club and country through the first half of this new season, and England have just lost a bit of depth at centre-forward with Agyemang's injury. Possessing traits that make her a wildcard like the Arsenal teen, albeit in different ways, could Goodwin be getting her first senior call-up in the New Year?

"There definitely is a pathway," the 22-year-old said last week. "Sarina's obviously watching every game and she was watching training the other day. It's exciting, but I think I've just got to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm just enjoying playing football." It's an approach which has worked a treat for Goodwin so far. Keep it up, and she could be the Lionesses' next debutante.