Ella Toone, the 26-year-old Manchester United midfielder, has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List. This recognition comes after Toone played a pivotal role in England’s back-to-back success at the UEFA Women’s Euro championships. She helped secure her second Euro title with the national team and contributed significantly to Manchester United’s qualification for the Champions League proper for the first time in the club’s history.
Toone was as surprised as anyone to find her name in the honours list. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she would one day have an MBE after her name. “It’s an amazing feeling, amazing achievement and something my family and I are really proud of,” she said. The effect is that the announcement of her honour has been matched in timing by a very personal milestone—in recent weeks Toone got engaged to her partner, Joe.
Toone has been an integral player for her club side and now to her country. Her journey serves as a brilliant reflection of her determination and devotion to the sport. She’s developed close-knit friendships off the pitch that translate on it—particularly with teammates Alessia Russo and Leah Williamson. Toone went further, recommending Williamson for a CBE, claiming that she’s done an incredible amount for women’s football.
Beyond her on-field accolades, Toone’s personality is evident in her witty comments. She mentioned the playful banter among teammates regarding her new status: “There’s been a bit of banter in training, people asking me if they’re meant to curtsy before they speak to me.” She humorously added, “I say, ‘yes, if you want me to do an exercise, you have to curtsy’. No one has done it yet.”
Toone’s devotion to her teammates and sport runs much deeper. As she warms up, she thinks about how much her coach, Sarina Wiegman, has changed the course of her journey. “She’s amazing, she deserves everything she gets. She’s been huge for England and women’s football in general,” Toone said, shining a light on the reaction Wiegman has had on the game. She added that Wiegman would not want to be addressed as ‘Dame,’ stating, “Sarina isn’t like that, she won’t want us calling her ‘Dame.’”
The recognition of Toone’s achievements not only celebrates her personal success but highlights the growth of women’s football in England. Taken together, these milestones mark a major turning point in the sport’s topography, providing inspiration to generations of female athletes to come.
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