‘It has exceeded my expectations’: Aoife Mannion is already loving her time at Newcastle

Ireland centre-back on rising standards in WSL2 and how the women’s game is unrecognisable from when she started at Birmingham 12 years ago

Sat, 20 Sep, 2025 - 15:47

Tom Garry

When Aoife Mannion left Manchester United this summer, the 29-year-old’s move to a club in the second-tier came as something of a surprise. After all, her high-calibre CV lists being named twice in the Women’s Super League’s team of the season, she is a Champions League semi-finalist and has played in the past three Women’s FA Cup finals.

But there is no doubt in her mind that almost exactly two months to the day since Newcastle announced her arrival, that she has no regrets. “I feel like I’ve made an amazing move,” the Ireland international says. “It was just where my heart wanted to go.