It’s no secret that, despite winning the last two European Championship titles and reaching the final of the most recent Women's World Cup, England’s Lionesses lack options at left-back. Sarina Wiegman has tried plenty to address the issue, deploying centre-forward Rachel Daly there for a good while, moving centre-backs across to test their credentials there and even changing formation to mask the problem.
More recently, Wiegman has successfully convinced Taylor Hinds to switch allegiances back to England, from Jamaica, to add a natural left-back into her squad, while West Ham’s Anouk Denton has also earned another call-up this month. The 22-year-old can play a variety of positions, including on the left side of defence.
But there is another option lurking in the England set-up who many Lionesses’ fans are keeping tabs on, too. After making her Aston Villa debut back in April, 18-year-old Rachel Maltby has emerged as a key starter for the Midlands outfit this season and has impressed plenty with how well she has adapted to not only senior football, but also the slightly newer role of left wing-back.
As Wiegman continues to hand out opportunities to stars of the Young Lionesses, with the likes of Denton, Maltby’s Villa team-mate Lucia Kendall and 20-year-old Freya Godfrey all examples in this month’s senior squad, youth national team coaches keep asking their players who is going to stand up and be next. Though still only 18 and just settling into the senior game, Maltby is sure to be one of those on Wiegman’s radar.
Getty ImagesWhere it all began
Born in Northamptonshire, Maltby started playing football at under-six level with the local boys’ team at Long Buckby. She’d briefly stop, focusing on gymnastics and swimming for a few years, before rejoining at the under-nines stage and enjoying a steady rise in the local area. She soon became involved in the Northamptonshire Advanced Coaching Centre, which would lead to her being integrated into the England set-up and going on her first youth national team camp at U16 level. It was around the same time that her path to Aston Villa unfolded.
Playing for a Rushden & Diamonds boys’ team one Saturday, Villa’s head scout for the men’s side was in attendance and quickly brought Maltby to the attention of the women’s team. “I wasn't necessarily pushing to get into any academy,” the teenager recalls, speaking to GOAL. “I hadn't been to any trials because I was quite happy with where the boys' game was taking me. But then when it happened organically, it was quite nice and that kind of felt a bit natural then, like natural timing for me to then transfer into the girls’ game.”
At that point, Maltby was more often a winger or a striker, but she’d transition into a left-back under the guidance of Natalie Henderson, England’s U17s coach at the time. She’s made a real splash in the position, too, playing an important part in the Young Lionesses’ run to the final of the U17 Euros and semi-finals of the U17 World Cup last year, before helping England secure a spot at next year’s U20 World Cup via the U19 Euros this past summer.
“The memories and experiences that I've gained are just incredible,” Maltby says, reflecting on those major tournaments. “I think that will stay with me and everyone else throughout our whole career and it will definitely benefit us moving forward.”
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break
It’s on the left side of defence, albeit in the slightly tweaked role of a wing-back, that Maltby has broken into the Villa first team, too. After training with the seniors here and there beforehand, she made a matchday squad for the first time back in March, just a few days before her 18th birthday, and would make her senior debut the following month when Villa secured an incredible 5-2 win over Arsenal, just a few weeks before the Gunners beat Barcelona to be crowned champions of Europe.
Natalia Arroyo, who took over at Villa in January, has a track record of trusting in young players and she has only enhanced that reputation in England, with recent Lionesses debutante Kendall another talented prospect that she has put real faith in, alongside Maltby.
“She takes the time to understand you as a person,” Maltby explains, asked what makes Arroyo so good at developing young talent. “I usually go through clips with another member of staff, after games, after training, and she takes the time to want to be within [those sessions] or wants to know what we go through. She takes the time to speak to us and kind of understand us a little bit more as people, off the pitch and on the pitch, and just understand what makes us tick, I guess, which definitely helps us grow.”
Getty ImagesHow it's going
Maltby built on that foundation in the summer, enjoying her first full pre-season with the Villa first team, and has now become a regular starter at left wing-back this season. When one considers that it’s not long since she made the switch to the role, how she is performing is made all the more impressive.
“Last season, when I wasn't playing as much, I would watch back the games and I'd analyse Maz Pacheco or Paula Tomas, whoever was playing in my position, and watch what they would do and almost analyse their performance,” Maltby recalls, asked about the adaptation. “I'd still have those one-to-one clips, but it wouldn't necessarily be about me directly, but about people in my position.
“I think the fact that I've played left-back and left winger, it was kind of easier for me to combine the two. Obviously, there are still things that I need to work on and understand about the position, but it definitely helps that I already have experience as both winger and full-back. There's been challenges at times but I've definitely enjoyed it.”
Getty ImagesBiggest strengths
That commitment to learning and improving is something that clearly stands out about Maltby. Raised by parents who weren’t particularly into football, she admits she didn’t watch the sport much growing up, but that’s changed a lot in recent times and is feeding into a growing game intelligence that is evident when the teenager takes to the field.
It’s not the only strength in Maltby’s psychological makeup, either. As she takes her first steps in the senior game, the defender also has great perspective in what she admits is a mentally “challenging” period.
“There's lots of ups and downs because, obviously, you're constantly trying to learn from the senior players and you're not expected to necessarily play 10 out of 10 all the time,” she explains. “When you are constantly learning and you might be making a couple more mistakes than you want, it's quite hard to keep that confidence. But I also think the support from the coaches and the players is quite beneficial to help me keep that confidence and continue to play like how I know I can.”
As for her physical capabilities, Maltby has an impressive final product for young talent and her previous experiences as a more attacking player shine through in her positioning in that final third. Combine that with her great athleticism, which allows her to get up and down the pitch with ease, and it’s clear why Arroyo sees her as a good fit for the wing-back role.