Ella Toone ready to ‘start growing up’ and take lead role for Man Utd

Ella Toone still feels like she has some “growing up” to do with another birthday looming just around the corner.

The Manchester United and England attacking midfielder turns 26 next Tuesday, another milestone in a summer full of major events for the Tyldesley footballer, who in July became a European champion with the Lionesses for the second time.

In August, Toone’s long-time partner Joe Bunney popped the question with a romantic, rose petal-laden Ibiza beachfront proposal that his now-fiancee never saw coming.

“It was a complete surprise,” Toone told the PA news agency. “His main thing was for it was to be a surprise. I didn’t have a clue, but it was amazing and better than I could have ever imagined it to be, so I’m very lucky.”

Toone, who rose to prominence as a super-sub at her home 2022 Euros, started all but England’s opener at the 2025 edition in Switzerland, scoring against both the Netherlands and Wales in the group stage en route to their penalty shootout victory over Spain in the final.

Her growth is inexorably intertwined with United’s. She spent seven years in the club’s academy then returned in 2018, the year both the senior women’s team and Women’s Super League (WSL) turned fully professional.

Toone is now one of the most influential and experienced players in Marc Skinner’s squad, a stalwart starter for England boss Sarina Wiegman, and a woman who also has a wedding to plan.

It is a coming of age, she confesses, that has caught her off-guard.

“I feel like I need to start growing up a little more,” said Toone. “Yeah, I still see myself as a younger player, but that’s not the case any more.

“I’m turning 26 in September and I feel like I’ve got a lot of experience within the England team and at United as well.

“I think it’s about using my experiences now and really stepping up and becoming a leader and helping the younger players come into the game, come into the teams, using what I’ve learned from different tournaments and different games as best I can now.”

United, who finished third last season, host PSV in a Champions League qualifier on Wednesday night and kick off their WSL campaign at home to Leicester on September 7th.

Head coach Marc Skinner has so far made two new additions, recruiting midfielder Julia Zigiotti Olme from Bayern Munich and former Barcelona forward Fridolina Rolfo on a free transfer.

“I think both of them fit really well into what we needed and, maybe last season, what we were lacking,” said Toone.

The key word for Toone this campaign is “consistency” – both as a player and for the team.

Asked about what she learned about herself during England’s topsy-turvy European triumph, Toone said: “I obviously didn’t start the first game, so it was about coming into the second and really showing what I’m about and just giving everything for the team.

“I learned that I was quite consistent in the performances I put out in the Euro, so I know that I can definitely do that now, stepping into the season at United.

“I’ve definitely learned that being away with England, everything’s not always pretty and not how you want it to go, but it’s about finding that team togetherness, resilience and finding a way to win.”