‘It’s good for the game’ – WSL2 goes professional

The lower tiers of English women’s football have a recurring theme for years that the part-time player must find a balance between their love of the game and their work.

Stories of players completing a nine-to-five job, rushing straight to training for two hours, and having no time to eat well or live socially are common.

Thankfully, there is no longer a version of the over-romanticized symbol of the poor investment that has plagued women’s football for years in the Women’s Super League 2.

All 12 of the second tier’s 12 sides will be fully professional for the first time during the 2025-26 campaign, which kicks off on Friday.

Due to the expansion of the WSL2, which was changed to the Women’s Championship this year, notable signings have been made in recent years.

Sweden’s Kosovare Asllani was acquired by the London City Lionesses last season. Former Arsenal and Villa midfielder Jordan Nobbs has been signed by Newcastle United this summer.

Nobbs, who has 71 caps for England, is also returning home. She was born in Stockton-on-Tees, and she began her career there before moving elsewhere, largely because there were no opportunities for her to work in the north east.

It was a no-brainer for her to join her first team when she saw the really big ambitions in Newcastle, she told BBC Sport.

“We used to play video games in Morrisons parking lots.” In a boys league, I played on an all-girls team. My dad and I used to play head tennis.

The game has developed, but it has not yet, and it is incredible to see. You want young girls to be able to play football, join teams, and play professionally, and develop it.

“I’ve had a very good time playing for some very good clubs.” However, I saw their ambition, which is a new challenge for me. I have a strong belief in the team, and they really wanted me to leave.

Lioness Nobbs is not the only Lioness to relocate to a different city. Both Beth Mead and Lucy Bronze were born in the north-east, but they both later switched to professional football.

Everyone I know says, “You’re coming home,” and I’ve never had that many messages before. Everyone calls me a southern softie because I’ve lived in London for so long.

Everyone finds it difficult to leave, but returning and maintaining their high standards was perfect.

A professional WSL2 is crucial for giving girls the opportunities she and her generation found so difficult, according to Nobbs, who is leading a new FA campaign celebrating grassroots football.

After Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town both started playing full-time over the summer, the WSL2 was officially recognized as a fully professional league.

Every member of each squad will receive fair compensation this season, despite the hybrid model that both had been using, with a majority of the squad being a professional team and some amateurs.

Forest goalkeeper Emily Batty told BBC Sport, “It’s a huge part of getting us to where we are now, allowing us to fully concentrate on the games ahead so we can do our best work.”

It’s beneficial for the game because it allows young children to see where the top tiers are headed. It’s a fascinating time to be involved.

Before that, Batty had to work a job in the NHS and play football full-time for Forest until last year.

Over the past ten years, many clubs in the lower divisions have been able to offer financial incentives to some players despite the explosion in interest and investment in English women’s football.

Sophie Peskett, a midfielder at the age of 18, signed a deal to become Ipswich Town’s first professional player in 2021. Her team-mates are on the same level now, four years later.

When she arrived, Peskett, who is now Town’s record-scorer and appearance maker, claims that the club didn’t provide them with proper nutrition.

She said, “We had nowhere near as much access as we do now.” It is much better now that we can play on a training ground, have access to gym equipment, and have access to training facilities. We can all be present together much more often because we have more time for discussions and analysis when everyone is working full-time.

They were working hard, rushing to training, working hard, sleeping, and then returning the following day for many of the team.

We work out, work out, and eat now that we have our own changing area. At first, we had no idea where to get food. It has improved over the past few years.

Megan Wearing, a team mate, reminds her of Peskett, who used to commutate from her job at a climbing center without getting a proper meal.

A professional second division will also help English football, which has a long-term impact on the game, keep its young prospects here more effectively.

Youth have traditionally sought a college scholarship in the United States to cover the cost of their academic education while pursuing a sport.

It means that academic achievement is a factor in football access, but it is much less difficult to do so than trying to balance elite sport with a full-time job or significant financial concerns.

Lionesses Bronze, Lotte Wubben-Moy, and Alessia Russo, who won the Euro 2025, all received scholarships to play college soccer for the Tar Heels at the University of North Carolina. After making their WSL debuts, both Wubben-Moy and Russo did it.

Rio Hardy, a striker for Bristol City, followed that path. Before beginning her career, she played for the South Alabama Jaguars in Whitehaven before moving to Iceland, Cyprus, and Scotland. This summer, she left Rangers and moved to Ashton Gate.

She told BBC Sport, “I didn’t know you could play football professionally as a woman. When I was 18 years old, I was forced to enter America because I had no job opportunities.

“I’m glad people are putting money behind it [WSL2] and giving it the exposure it deserves,” he said, “having 12 full-time teams, that wasn’t the case when I was last here.”

Brianna Westrup, a Sunderland player, moved from the USA to Newcastle-upon-Tyne to pursue a master’s degree at Northumbria University almost in the opposite direction as Hardy did.

While there, she also played for Newcastle under current manager Becky Langley, but because the club was so amateur at the time, Westrup had to pay for both kit and play while Langley also coached the Northumbria team.

I saw that at university, where many girls had to balance work and competitive football because they didn’t do well academically enough, so they couldn’t play, Westrup said. You must catch up with your classmates because you miss them. It’s a delicate balance.

Young girls will stay here thanks to a full-time WSL2 program. It is not the most common practice to transfer English players to the US for college [aside from football]. However, at the time, the UK lacked the motivation to play at a higher level.

The best English players should continue to thrive and prosper, not depart. Making sure you’re paid competitive salaries is the next step is making sure full-time isn’t just a general statement.