Grace Clinton is England’s next ‘superstar’ but faces tough Tottenham vs Manchester United decision

As England begin their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign, there is one name fans are hoping to see on Sarina Wiegman’s team sheet.

Grace Clinton has been one of the WSL’s success stories this season, enjoying a good loan spell at Tottenham away from parent club Manchester United.

The versatile midfielder has been a key player for Spurs, recording four goals and three assists in 16 league appearances this campaign, earning him praise from manager Robert Vilahamn.

Speaking after the 21-year-old delivered an impressive performance in a narrow 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in early October, Vilahamn said: “She’s only 20 and she was so dominant in that match .”

He continued: “She will be the next superstar of this country if you ask me. I think she’s brilliant and has the potential to be so good.

And the Spurs boss isn’t Clinton’s only admirer, her performances have also caught the attention of Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman, who named her in the England squad for the first time in October 2023.

Although Clinton had to wait until the last international break to take the field for her country, she wasted no time in making herself known on the international stage.

The 21-year-old scored 19 minutes into her match, heading in a cross from Lauren Hemp as the Lionesses cruised to a 7-2 victory over Austria, impressing both Wiegman and her team. teammates.

Speaking after the match, the Euro-winning coach said of the young star: “She plays like a natural. She wants to have the ball. She understands very quickly the things we are talking about and that’s what we also see on the ground.”

Wiegman was quick to praise the versatility of Clinton, who deployed the Liverpool-born player as a number eight, although she has primarily played a left-wing role for her club this year.

The 54-year-old coach continued: “It was a new role for her, so we did some tactics and some individual things and you can tell she’s taking things in. She just goes out there and plays .”

Man United teammate Ella Toone also had some encouraging words after playing alongside the highly-rated player during the match, as she admitted: “I absolutely loved (playing with Clinton).

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“She is a great player with a lot of talent and she is very good with the ball. Getting closer to her – we had never done that before, we had never played together – it was so natural.

“I knew where she was and she knew where I was, so I’m thrilled for her that she made her debut and achieved her goal.”

And Toone’s comments are a reminder of the difficult decision facing Clinton at the end of the season.

Since signing for Manchester United in 2022 from youth club Everton on an initial three-year deal, the former Toffees star is yet to make a competitive appearance for the Red Devils.

Clinton was loaned to then-champions Bristol City for the 2022/23 season, where his six goals in 12 appearances helped bring the club’s promotion back to the WSL.

Now, as she nears the end of a hugely successful second loan spell in north London, there is a real case to be made for the talented youngster to consider her long-term future with her current club, Tottenham.

Although her creativity often earns her praise, she also displayed impressive defensive statistics while at Spurs, recording the fourth most tackles won per 90 minutes in the league.

While former Everton manager Willie Kirk admitted to the BBC that a young Clinton could be “a bit lazy without possession”, it’s clear that her time in N17 saw her develop as a playful in all aspects.

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Meanwhile, off the pitch, the Liverpudlian has clearly settled into the capital, befriending teammate and right-wing counterpart Celin Bizet.

The friendship proved popular among Spurs fans, and after a few light-hearted interviews with them on social media went viral, the pair have now launched a joint TikTok page, which has gained over 12,000 followers in a little over a month.

With all these factors in mind, there could be a real possibility that Clinton looks to continue his meteoric rise to the top at Tottenham, who currently trail his parent club by two places in the Championship.

In the meantime, however, the midfielder will focus on her time in England, having been named in Wiegman’s squad for the upcoming Euro 2025 qualifiers against Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.