Ashleigh Neville Leaves Spurs For Leicester City

Ashleigh Neville playing for Spurs in the recent North London Derby against Arsenal

Keith Richards. Cockroaches. Ashleigh Neville playing for Spurs. Some things just feel like they will never come to an end. Well, today one of them has. The full-back has officially joined Leicester City, ending more than eight years in north London. 

In footballing terms, this is probably the right decision for all concerned. Spurs are looking to move forward and progress as a team. Neville will clearly want to play as much as possible in the latter years of her career. However, it is a hugely emotional moment. Neville is perhaps the embodiment of Tottenham’s rise up to the top tier of English women’s football, not least because it was her last gasp clearance that helped Tottenham get a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa and secure promotion back in 2019. 

Commenting on Ashleigh Neville’s departure, Andy Rogers, Managing Director of Tottenham Hotspur Women, said: “Ash’s contribution to the Club has been immense. She has been influential on our journey to establishing ourselves as a Women’s Super League team, and she departs as an undisputed Club legend.”

Rogers described Neville, rightly, as “a true pioneer of the Women’s game on and off the pitch”. He added: “Ash has always shown love and care to her teammates, staff, and our supporters. From helping us break into the top flight, to representing us at Wembley Stadium in our first-ever FA Cup Final, we are forever grateful to Ash and wish her all the best for the future. Forever a member of the Spurs family.”

Ashleigh Neville Working for Spurs on and Off the Pitch

Neville has been a huge support after Spurt LGBTQ+ supporters group, Proud Lilywhites. On Instagram, the group said: “From joining us on a lockdown Zoom quiz on her birthday to proudly posing with her own Proud Lilywhites flag, Ash consistently shows up for our community. Those moments matter. They make people feel welcome, valued and part of Spurs. We’re going to miss her hugely, not just for what she gives on the pitch, but for the presence, generosity and care she brings off it too. We’ll miss you in Lilywhite, Ash. Thank you for everything.”

The club have put out a video, saying goodbye. Tissues at the ready:

Ashleigh Neville will not be away from Tottenham long. Leicester travel to Brisbane road on Sunday. I understand a goodbye is being planned for after the final whistle. She can expect a very affectionate reaction from the fans.

Spurs Get Busy in Transfer Market With Four Major Signings

It’s been a busy few days at Spurs, at least on the women’s side. The club have announced four new signings. All of them look to be players that not only bulk out the squad, but immediately improve the first team. The developments indicate both a desire from the new leadership, headed by CEO Vinai Venkatesham, to grow the women’s team. It also suggests confidence in manager Martin Ho, after a pretty successful start to the season.

New Signings For Spurs Women

The new signings are:
  • Hanna Wijk – 22, defender, from BK Hacken
  • Matilda Nilden- 21, winger, from BK Hacken
  • Maika Hamano (loan) – 21, forward, from Chelsea
  • Julie Blakstad – 24, defender, free agent

They join Signe Gaupset in arriving at Hotspur Way this month. It is noticeable that these are young players. Ho is clearly keen to develop talent and rely on existing experience from the likes of skipper Bethany England, Molly Bartrip and Drew Spence. Indeed, Spence signed a new long-term contract back in early December.

Ho described Wijk as “a modern, athletic full-back,” while Nilden “is an exciting attacking player with the ability to operate as a winger on both sides”. Yes, she is Amanda’s sister. Hamano “is a technically gifted and intelligent attacking player,” according to the head coach. Blakstad “was a clear priority for us,” commented Ho. “Despite strong competition from a number of top clubs in England and across Europe, Julie chose Tottenham Hotspur as the best environment to continue her development.”

Ashleigh Neville Set to Depart

It seems like Ashleigh Neville will be leaving Spurs. The Guardian‘s Tom Garry reported that the long-serving full-back is set to Leicester. Ironically, the Foxes are heading to Brisbane Road this weekend, as the WSL gets back underway. The two sides also meet in an upcoming FA Cup clash. It should give the fans a chance to say goodbye to a cult hero.

Ho Ho Ho: Assessing The First Half of the Season Under Martin

It was clear in the summer that Spurs needed to move on from Robert Vilahamn. The 2024/25 season had been little short of a disaster. Tottenham only survived in the WSL thanks to the dire state of Crystal Palace. Such a shambles could not be repeated.

The question then, was not whether to reset things, but how. I confess I knew nothing of Martin Ho before he turned up at Hotspur Way, but it just a few short months he has revamped and revitalised a group of players that looked out on their feet. From the ground-out victory against West Ham and impressive away win against Everton to start the season, to the battling recent draw against Arsenal, each performance has shown us something different about the team’s development. The mood has changed and it’s clear the players are willing to give it all for the Liverpudlian. That last gasp win against Aston Villa would never have happened last season. (How many games have we said that after?)

Hold Shines, but Attacking Concerns Remain

The standout player so far has been Olivia Holdt. She has found new levels and everything good Spurs do going forward flows through her. This chart, generated using Earpiece from TwelveFootball, shows that clearly:

In Tinka Tandberg and Beth England, the team has two strikers who can both hold the ball and finish. However, it is also in attack that thing are slightly lack.

Quality, no Quanity, of Chances:

There has not been an uptick in attacking performance from last season:

Defensively things have not changed that much either:

   
So where have things improved? It is, in no small part, about the quality of chances. The data show that Tottenham Hotspur women are now creating 2.27 high opportunity shots per game in the WSL. With Tandberg, Holdt and England around, that can lead to goals. Last season, the team was struggling to turn possession into shots. 

Collapse Against Man Utd

Which brings us to last weekend. In many ways, the visit to Man Utd typified both the good and bad of the first half of this season for Spurs. They took the chances they had, with two exceptional headers and a good hit from Martha Thomas(!!!). Once the first Man Utd goal went in, they didn’t have the defensive resilience, or the the resources off the bench, to hold back the tide.

It’s hugely frustrating. Such a win would have been a real statement. Perhaps Spurs will knock Man Utd out of the League Cup on Sunday, but a WSL win would have really demonstrated progress. It’s understandable that after getting hammered by Man City there has been a focus on defensive against “the big four”. However, in future, Ho will have to be a little braver and push his players forwards if they are going to get such a win.

Overall, it’s been a better start to the season than anyone who follows Spurs might have imagined. The mood around the team has totally changed. Martin Ho and his players can genuinely be proud of what they have done so far. January reinforcements are both expected, and needed, if things are going to kick on.

Preview: Man Utd vs Tottenham Women in the WSL – Sunday, 14 December, 2025,

Man Utd vs Spurs WSL 14th December, 2.30pm kick off

Spurs have made huge progress under Martin Ho, but they still lack that statement win. A victory over one of the “Big Four”. Can they change that this weekend?

Spurs were not fantastic last time out against Aston Villa, but that 95th minute Olivia Holdt winner will give them a huge confidence boost going into the game. Ho described it as “huge”. He added that “when you’re not at your best and you can win games, I think it’s the signs of a good team in the making.”

The Dane finished after a wonderful reverse pass by Drew Spence, who this week signed a new contact with the club. Ho regards the Jamaican international as one key leaders in his squad. Spence and captain Bethany England will certainly have to stand up if their team is going to get anything at the Leigh Sports Village Stadium.

The manager is clearly going into the game with a positive attitude: “If we put in a big performance, and we perform to the levels I know we can, with and without the ball, I believe we can be a match for anyone, and we’ve shown that in large spells now.” 

Interestingly he said “that we go into this game with a totally different mentality in terms of how we’ve been in the previous game against Arsenal just recently.” This perhaps suggest a bit more attacking intent. However, Ho was clear that “I’m under no illusion that it’s big task in terms of when we play these teams”.

Spurs will have to get this win, and a lot of others, without Jessica Naz. The England winger has cruelly got the second ACL injury of her career and will not be back for some time. “She’s doing okay,” said Ho. He conceded that Naz “will be a big loss in terms of in and out of possession”. Molly Bartrip’s return to the heart of the Tottenham defence is timely though. However well they have been playing without her, it’s yet another senior player back in the mix.

Spurs proved recently against Arsenal that they can grind it out against the top teams. It’s been a remarkable turnaround since that early-season shambles against Man City. However, getting over the line  is going to require a real creative spark. Maybe a bit of magic from the bench. I cannot quite see where that is going to come from. But Spurs barely had a sight of Arsenal’s goal in that famous derby almost exactly two years ago and, in Holdt, they have a special player who provide those standout out moments.

Man Utd vs Spurs in the WSL kicks off at 2.30pm GMT/11.30am ET on Sunday, 14th December. It is available to watch for FREE on BBC Two/iPlayer in the UK, and is on ESPN Select/Fubo in the US. If you’re away, you can still access your usual services by using a VPN. ​​​I use NordVPN.​​​You can currently get up to 74% off with their holiday deal.

Preview: Tottenham vs Aston Villa Women in the WSL – Sunday, 7 December, 2025, team news

Spurs and Aston Villa Logoa, Sunday, 7 December 2025, Kick-off 12pm

Spurs Women get back into action on Sunday, 7 December, 2025, following the international break. Those trips abroad have taken their toll on some. Charlie Grant, Olga Ahtinen and Cathinka Tandberg picked up injuries and will not feature again before Christmas. All three have contributed this season, but the lost of Tandberg will particularly hurt, given how she has improved the Spurs attack.

Spurs boss Martin Ho said he and his players are “under no illusions” about this weekend’s opponents. “They’re a wonderful team,” he said, noting the results Aston Villa have picked up against Arsenal and Man Utd. “They don’t concede many chances” added Ho, who said his team needs to be “ruthless” going forward. Villa have only netted nine times so far this season, but only conceded 10 times. Chances will not be easy to come by on Sunday. They cannot be wasted.

However, Ho is just as focussed, if not more so, at making sure his side is solid at the back. “I pride myself a lot on art of maybe defending,” he said. This has “maybe got lost within all the fancy side of football at the moment.” And working on this art has paid some dividends. Spurs head into this round of matches on level points with North London rivals Arsenal, against who they picked up a gutsy 0-0 draw last time out in the league.

Creativity has been a problem though. Jess Naz and Matilda Vinberg really need to contribute more from the wing. Bethany England and Tandberg linked well together earlier in the season, but more recently only one has featured at any one time. With Tandberg out for a number of weeks, there will be a lot of pressure on England to score the goals her side need. 

Olivia Holdt, of course, may be the answer. She has been Spurs’ standout player during the first half of the campaign, linking with Tandberg, England and anyone else who can actually keep up with her. The Dane’s creativity is crucial, and could be the answer to unpicking the lock on Sunday.

These two sides met in September in the Subway Cup. Spurs got the bonus point, winning the penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. A goalless encounter suits neither team this time around and would undo a lot of the good work Tottenham did against Arsenal. With just a couple of games to go before the winter break, TottenhamHotspur women cannot afford to spurn opportunities to pick up points at home.

Team News

Tottenham: Kop, Bartrip, Nilden, Naz, England, Holdt, Vinberg, Hunt, Spence, Summanen, Neville.

Aston Villa: D’Angelo, Maritz, Patten, Deslandes, Grant, Kendall, Taylor, Maltby, Daly, Salmon, Hanson.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa Women in the WSL kicks-off at 12pm on Sunday, 7th December, 2025. The game is available to watch on Sky Sports+ and for FREE on YouTube. If you’re away, you can still access your usual services by using a VPN. ​​​I use NordVPN.​​​ You can currently get up to 74% off with their Cyber Monday deal.