Despite just turning 23, it feels like Laura Blindkilde Brown has been on the scene for years now.
The technical midfielder has become a consistent and crucial cog in Manchester City’s team, breaking up play at the base of midfield and distributing the ball with laser-like precision.
She’s also becoming a regular fixture in Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses squads, with high hopes that she’ll star for England in many major tournaments to come.
As her stock continues to rise, here are five facts about Laura Blindkilde Brown, Manchester City and England’s budding midfield general.
1) She Was Scouted By Aston Villa at School
Born and raised in Worcester, Laura Blindkilde Brown’s first taste of football came through playing for a boys’ team.
She turned out for Warndon Villages Boys until the age of nine and, staggeringly, never played girls’ grassroots football.
“At that time, there weren’t many girls’ teams around, so it did feel a bit daunting playing in a boys’ team,” she said.
“The boys probably thought at first, ‘why is a girl playing?’ but I slotted in.”
Her real break came at school when a coach from Aston Villa visited to host a session. After spotting her potential, he invited Blindkilde Brown for a trial.
She made it into the Villans’ under-11s setup and spent around five years in the pathway before joining Birmingham City.
2) She Signed Her First Professional Contract at 18
Having spent two years at Birmingham, where she made her WSL debut, Laura Blindkilde Brown returned to Aston Villa in 2020, signing her first professional contract the following year aged 18.
She was named Villa’s Young Player of the Season for the 2021–22 and 2022–23 campaigns, featuring in all but one WSL fixture in the latter.
3) Manchester City Signed Her for Big Money
As one of the WSL’s brightest prospects, Manchester City had to shell out a decent sum to secure Laura Blindkilde Brown’s services.
In January 2024, the Mancunians reportedly paid £200,000 to Aston Villa, handing her a three-and-a-half-year deal.
Since then, Blindkilde Brown has grown from a prospect into a regular starter for City, playing a major role in their domestic success last season.
4) She Could Have Played for Denmark
During the 2021–22 season, she chose to switch from playing under her surname, “Brown”, to displaying her Danish middle name, “Blindkilde”, on the back of her shirt.
Her Danish roots come from her mother’s side of the family, meaning she could have chosen to represent Denmark at international level.
However, Blindkilde Brown has stated that she only wants to play for England.
5) Laura Blindkilde Brown Has Risen Through the International Ranks
Blindkilde Brown has certainly earned her stripes on the way to Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses squad.
She represented England at U17, U19 and U23 level, proving her quality at every step.
Blindkilde Brown made her senior bow for England in an international match against Switzerland at Bramall Lane in December 2024, starting in midfield as the Lionesses ran out 1-0 winners.
She now has eight senior caps to her name and featured in Wiegman’s squad for England’s Women’s World Cup first-round play-off double-header against Greece.
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