Layla Drury
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 12 June 2009 | ||
| Place of birth | Wrexham, Wales | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Manchester United | ||
| Number | 27 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| FAW North Academy | |||
| 2024– | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025– | Manchester United | 5 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023–2024 | Wales U15 | ||
| 2024–2025 | Wales U17 | 11 | (4) |
| 2026– | England U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2026– | England U19 | 2 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 28 March 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 13:28, 2 August 2026 (UTC) | |||
Layla Drury (born 12 June 2009) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Women's Super League club Manchester United. Born in Wales, she plays for the England under-20 national team.
In January 2026, she became the youngest player and goalscorer in Manchester United's history, surpassing records previously held by Lauren James.[1]
Early life
Drury was born in Wrexham, Wales.
Youth career
Drury joined the Manchester United academy in November 2024.[2] After just over a year of training with the under-16 and under-21 squads, she was promoted to the senior team by head coach Marc Skinner in December 2025.[3]
Club career
Manchester United, 2025–
Drury made her senior professional debut in a Women's FA Cup fourth round match against Burnley on 18 January 2026. Entering as a 66th-minute substitute, she scored the final goal in a 5–0 victory.[1] At 16 years and 220 days old, she became the youngest player to represent Manchester United Women and the club's youngest-ever goalscorer across all senior competitive formats.[1] She made her Women's Super League debut on 25 January 2026, in a 4–1 win against Aston Villa.[4]
On 3 July 2026, Manchester United announced that Drury had signed her first professional contract with the side, keeping the forward at the club until 2029.[5]
International career
Drury is a dual-national, eligible to represent both Wales and England. She began her international career with Wales and represented them up to under-17 level. She joined the Wales under-19 squad as a training player in October 2025.[6][7]
On 18 February 2026, Drury was called up to the England under-20 squad for a series of international friendlies in Spain.[8] On 19 February 2026, her request to switch allegiance to England was approved by FIFA.[9][10] She made her debut on 28 February 2026 as a substitute in an international friendly against Spain in Alicante, and later made her first start in a win against the Netherlands.[11] In April 2026, she was called up to England's under-19 squad for 2026 Under-19 Euro qualification matches.[12]
Style of play
The tallest player in Manchester United Women's squad, head coach Marc Skinner has highlighted Drury's "speed of thought", "speed of movement" and "the way she invades [space]".[3]
References
- 1 2 3 "Layla Drury makes Man United history in 5-0 thrashing of Burnley". The Peoples Person. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ Němcová, Kristina (20 January 2026). "Layla Drury – remember that name!". QueenBallers. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- 1 2 Dunn, Carrie (19 January 2026). "Layla Drury surprises Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner with debut goal". SheKicks. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ "Aston Villa 1–4 Manchester United: Second-half surge sees visitors move one point behind Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ "Drury signs her first professional contract". Manchester United. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ "Layla Drury receives first call-up for England U20 WNT". ignite talent. 28 February 2026. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ Harries, Owain (21 November 2025). "WU19 squad confirmed for EURO qualifiers". Football Association of Wales. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ McHugh, Beth (18 February 2026). "England WU20s squad chosen for trio of internationals". England Football.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "FIFA Change of Association Platform". FIFA.
- ↑ Garry, Tom (2 July 2026). "Record-breaker Layla Drury signs first professional deal with Manchester United". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ Hunt, Holly (3 March 2026). "Report: England WU20s 1-0 Netherlands". England Football. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ McHugh, Beth (1 April 2026). "England WU19s squad target EURO Finals spot". England Football. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
External links
- Layla Drury at Soccerway
- Layla Drury at Manchester United