Aston Villa have confirmed the signing of West Ham forward Alisha Lehmann as they look to build on last season’s debut in the WSL under new manager Carla Ward.
Villa survived relegation on the final day of the 2020/21 season and consolidated their place in the WSL after their previous promotion from the women’s championship.
Ward, who has so far impressed during the lead periods at Sheffield United and Birmingham, crossed the second city competition almost as soon as the season was over. The Ward’s Blues had undoubtedly beaten their weight just to stay in the top flight under difficult circumstances and Villa did not miss the chance to hire one of the best young coaches in the English game.
The new boss has received tips to bring some of his old Birmingham players to Villa, which may include the incredibly talented young goalkeeper, England, Hannah Hampton, but the first name through the door is Switzerland international Lehmann.
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We are pleased to announce the signing of @lehmann_alisha! ?
– Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) June 30, 2021
The 22-year-old has been one of the most popular players in the WSL since her arrival in England in 2018. She has 3.2 million Instagram followers and featured in both BBC reality series that put a camera lens on Hammer’s development in women’s football. But she is also an extremely talented player and a new start as a point of contact with Villa may be just what she needs.
Lehmann spent the second half of last season on loan at Everton and there are already high expectations of her to help significantly sharpen Villa’s attacking edge.
“Alisha comes with both experience and incredible potential. At 10 pm, Alisha has already shown in recent seasons that she can turn on all WSL games, Ward tells AVFC.co.uk.
“I’m glad she’s put paper on paper and I’m looking forward to working with her. Alisha is a really exciting addition to the group. ”
Lehmann has been among the WSL’s most popular players since her arrival at West Ham 2018 / James Williamson – AMA / Getty Images
Before leaving the club in May to accept the offer of a new role at Angel City in Los Angeles, former Villa manager Eniola Aluko told 90 Minutes that simply staying in the WSL had been a priority for the 2020/21 season but declared recruitment be crucial to take the next step.
“We had many players who went from semi-professional to professional and many players who went from playing in the championship to playing in the world’s best league. It is not an easy transition, ”Aluko explained.
The former England striker compared the planned development with Villa’s men, who survived narrowly in the Premier League on the last day of the 2019/20 season but then continued to enjoy a very promising rise to the table during the campaign.
“I think for next season (2021/22) the club will need to invest to bring in players who can take it to another level and start pushing towards the midfield, much like the men’s team has,” Aluko said of the next set of goals. for Villas women.
“The men’s team was almost up [in 2020] and this season, the recruitment has been brilliant when it comes to pushing them to another level as a midfield side. It is a gradual growth. ”
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