Ruby Mace is a name that should be on plenty of England fans’ radars.
The 23-year-old registered her first two official goals for Everton in their WSL win over Birmingham City on Sunday, October 4, with the double enough to earn her side all three points.
Her strong start to the 2026/27 campaign will come as little surprise to those who have been tracking her progress over the years.
With Mace making no secret of her ambitions to break into the full Lionesses squad, we’re taking a closer look at her career so far – and why we wouldn’t bet against her pulling on an England shirt for years to come.
Experience Beyond Her Years
Born in Upminster, Ruby Mace, now 23, was picked out as one of England’s most promising talents from an early age.
She was playing with boys’ teams competitively from the age of five, and joined Arsenal’s esteemed academy setup aged seven.
Fast forward 10 years, and Mace made her Arsenal debut in the North London derby, no less.
She came on in the Gunners’ postponed FA Cup quarter-final against rivals Tottenham Hotspur, replacing captain Kim Little in the 88th minute as Arsenal breezed to a 4-0 victory.
Mace would only make a handful of appearances at Arsenal before signing on a dual registration with Birmingham City for the remainder of the season.
Her performances were enough to convince Manchester City to put forward her first professional contract ahead of her 18th birthday.
Despite a promising debut, which saw Mace play 90 minutes in a League Cup clash against her current employers Everton in October 2021 and receive praise from fellow teenage teammate Jess Park, her City career never really took off.
The versatile operator, who’s comfortable in defence or midfield, was sent out on loan to strugglers Leicester City, where she helped them beat the drop in the 2022–23 season.
Upon her return to Manchester, Mace still found her game time limited, and in May 2024 it was announced that she would be leaving the club once her contract expired.
That prompted a return to the Foxes, with Mace reportedly rejecting offers from Spain and other WSL clubs to ink a two-year deal.
Leicester proved to be the perfect place to nurture Mace’s undeniable talent. She went on to make 31 appearances for the club across both spells, during which time she also made her full debut for England’s Lionesses.
Then, in 2025, Everton came calling, paying an undisclosed fee to Leicester to secure her services – one that was described as a club-record sale.
Although it took her a while to find regular football, Ruby Mace never dropped out of the WSL, despite starting her career at just 17.
Ruby Mace is Now a Key Player for Everton
Ruby Mace made an instant impact for Everton in the 2025/26 campaign.
In fact, her performances in defence and at the base of midfield earned her the club’s Young Player of the Season award, with teammate Courtney Brosnan named Fans’ Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season.
She’s carried over that fine form into the new season, proving a key cog in Everton’s midfield as they’ve won three of their first five WSL matches.
Ruby Mace’s England Ambitions
With a taste of full international football coming against Switzerland in 2024, Ruby Mace is eager to force her way back into Sarina Wiegman’s plans.
At 23, she’s certainly got time on her side, but she’ll be keen to establish herself as a regular Lioness sooner rather than later.
Mace is already vastly experienced at youth level and has an impressive CV.
She captained the U23 team to a 3–0 win over Sweden to lift the 2025–26 U23 European Competition trophy in April this year, also picking up Player of the Match.
The next step is proving herself among the nation’s most talented midfielders. Next year’s World Cup might come slightly too soon, but it feels almost inevitable that she’ll represent England at a major tournament at some stage in the future.
SEE ALSO: 5 Facts About Olivia Holdt, Tottenham’s Wing Technician
