Ella Toone

Ella Ann Toone (born 2 September 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Women's Super League club Manchester United, and the England national team.

She represented England from under-17 to under-21, scoring her first Euro goal against Spain in 2022, with another against Germany in the Euro 2022 final, helping the team to win the European Championship.

Toone started her senior career at Blackburn Rovers in 2013, later joining Manchester City and winning the WSL in 2016.

Toone joined Manchester City in the summer of 2016 from Blackburn Rovers having previously been a youth at Manchester United for six years but moved on due to a lack of senior women's team.

She continued to play with Blackburn in the National League on dual registration terms.

In July 2016, she made her senior Manchester City debut as a substitute in an 8–0 win over Aston Villa in the Continental Cup.

Toone represented England at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Jordan.

On 17 October 2017, Toone made her under-19 debut in an UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship qualification match against Kazakhstan, scoring twice in a 9–0 win.

She scored 5 across the qualifying campaign as England finished second to Germany in the elite round.

Since joining United in 2018, she has become their top scorer with most appearances for the club, has been described as a household name, as well as a key player by manager Marc Skinner.

In August 2023, Toone scored her first World Cup goal against Australia in the semi-final, becoming the first England footballer to score in a quarter-final, semi-final and final of a major tournament.

Toone was nominated alongside four others for the FA Women's Young Player of the Year award in May 2018, an award eventually won by Beth Mead.

In July 2018, Toone joined Manchester United for their inaugural season in the FA Women's Championship for the 2018–19 season, one of seven players to return to the senior side having played for the club at youth level.

She made her competitive debut for Manchester United, as a half-time substitute for Mollie Green, in a 1–0 League Cup victory against Liverpool on 19 August.

On 9 September, she scored her first senior goal, on her league debut, in United's opening game of the 2018–19 season, a 12–0 win away to Aston Villa.

In June 2018, Toone was part of the 35-player shortlist to make the England under-20 squad for the FIFA Women's U20 World Cup, but was ruled out through injury.

She was voted FA Women's Championship player of the month for February 2019, having scored five goals in United's two league games, with four of them scored against Leicester City on 13 February.

By 24 March 2019, she had scored 7 consecutive goals in league matches, breaking the club record for most consecutive goals scored by an individual player, later equalled by Jessica Sigsworth.

In the 2019–20 season, Toone scored five goals in a League Cup group stage game as United beat Leicester City 11–1 on 21 November 2019, equalling the club record set by Sigsworth the previous season, as well as setting the record for most hat-tricks for the club with her second hat-trick.

Ahead of the 2020–21 season, Toone signed a new two-year contract with an option for a third.

Toone finished the season as United's top goal scorer, with ten goals in all competitions, as well as five assists.

In the 2021–22 season, Toone became joint top assist provider alongside Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema, providing 8 assists, as well as scoring 7 goals.

On 20 November 2021, it was announced that Toone had signed a new contract until June 2025.

She became WSL Player of the Month in December, playing every minute of Manchester United's WSL games that month.

A fan favourite, Toone was awarded club Player of the Year for the season with 35% of the vote, as the first player to reach 100 appearances for the club, as well as nominated PFA Young Player of the Year, the award was later won by Lauren Hemp.

On 10 November 2022, Toone signed a further contract extension until June 2026.

In the 2022–23 season, Toone provided 8 assists and scored 3 goals, helping United to finish second place in the WSL, and qualifying for the Champions League second round for the first time in the club's history.

In February 2023, Toone had a red card and three-match ban overturned, after being sent off for pushing Tottenham's Eveliina Summanen.

Summanen was later charged with simulation and deceiving officials over the incident by the FA, and given a two-match ban.

On 10 October 2023, Toone played her first Champions League game against PSG, describing it as an "an unbelievable feeling".

United were subsequently defeated 3-1 in the return leg with Toone hitting the post.

On 5 November, during the 2023–2024 season, Toone ended her year-long club "goal drought", described as a "gradual decline" by Manchester Evening News, by scoring a stunning goal against Brighton in a 2-2 draw.

The goal was subsequently nominated as WSL Goal of the Month, an award later won by Rachel Daly.

Considered a key player for the team, in November 2023, Marc Skinner has described her class as "permanent".

Toone was voted Manchester United Women's Player of the Month for December 2023 with 62% of the fan vote, and for January 2024 with 49% of the vote, after becoming the first United player to make 150 appearances for the club.

In front of the record-breaking Super League crowd at a sold out Emirates Stadium, Toone provided an assist for Lucía García.

In September 2020, Toone received her first senior national team call-up as part of a 30-player training camp at St George's Park.

She made her senior international debut on 23 February 2021 as a half-time substitute and scored a penalty in a 6–0 friendly win over Northern Ireland.

She scored a hat-trick on 26 October 2021 against Latvia during 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification.

In June 2022, Toone was included in the England squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2022.