By wsl2news 
Based on the comprehensive roster data for the twelve clubs in the 2025–26 Women’s Super League 2 (WSL 2), a breakdown of player nationalities reveals a strong dominance of players from the Home Nations (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland), supplemented by a diverse group of international players.
The league features 111 “Legionaries” (foreign players), representing 38.4% of the total player pool across the twelve clubs.
Overall Nationality Breakdown
The vast majority of players originate from the United Kingdom and Ireland, though the sources highlight that English players specifically face competition, with the percentage of English players in the top tiers shrinking without a cap on international players.
| Nationality | Approximate Player Count (Listed Roster Entries) | Clubs Represented |
|---|---|---|
| England (ENG) | ~190+ | All 12 clubs |
| Ireland (IRL) | 19 | 9 clubs |
| Wales (WAL) | 14 | 8 clubs |
| Scotland (SCO) | 10 | 6 clubs |
| Northern Ireland (NIR) | 9 | 5 clubs |
| Jamaica (JAM) | 6 | 4 clubs |
| USA (American) | 3 | 3 clubs |
| New Zealand (NZL) | 3 | 3 clubs |
| Netherlands (NLD) | 3 | 3 clubs |
| Sweden (SWE) | 3 | 2 clubs |
| Finland (FIN) | 2 | 1 club |
| Canada (CAN) | 2 | 2 clubs |
| South Korea (KOR) | 3 | 1 club |
| Other Nationalities | 10 | 10 unique nations |
Nationality Breakdown by Club
Every club roster listed features a majority of English (ENG) players. The diversity of international players (Legionaries) varies significantly between teams.
1. High International Diversity (8+ Foreign Nationalities)
These clubs feature the broadest mix of non-Home Nation players:
| Club | Total Distinct Foreign Nationalities | Key Foreign Nations |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham City | 11 (Highest Diversity) | USA, KOR (3 players), JAM, FRA, GRC, HTI |
| Durham WFC | 8 | USA, NZL, CAN, VEN |
| Bristol City WFC | 7 | DNK, CHL, ALG, ESP, MLT |
| Crystal Palace LFC | 6 | USA, JAM, SWE, BEL, NLD, NZL |
| Nottingham Forest WFC | 5 | SWE, CAN, GHA, JAM |
| Newcastle United WFC | 5 | FIN, NLD, POL, JAM |
2. Medium International Diversity (3-5 Foreign Nationalities)
These clubs rely primarily on the Home Nations (ENG, NIR, IRL, SCO, WAL) but include a few external nationalities:
| Club | Total Distinct Foreign Nationalities | Key Foreign Nations |
|---|---|---|
| Charlton Athletic LFC | 4 | USA, CAN, HUN, DNK |
| Southampton Women | 2 | NOR, JAM |
| Sunderland AFC Ladies | 3 | NZL, JAM, NIR |
| Sheffield United LFC | 3 | JAM, NZL, IRL |
3. Low International Diversity (1-2 Foreign Nationalities)
These clubs have rosters almost exclusively composed of players from the Home Nations:
| Club | Total Distinct Foreign Nationalities | Key Foreign Nations |
|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth LFC | 1 | NLD |
| Ipswich Town Women | 3 | NZL, PHI (transfer out), JAM |
Specific International Player Highlights
Players from the Republic of Ireland (IRL) and Northern Ireland (NIR)
Irish players form the largest foreign contingent in the league, with 9 of the 12 clubs featuring Irish or Northern Irish players:
- Birmingham City has 3 Irish players (Lily Agg, Lucy Quinn, Louise Quinn) and 3 Northern Irish players (Rebecca Holloway, Rebecca McKenna, Simone Magill).
- Nottingham Forest includes 4 Irish players (Jessie Stapleton, Chloe Mustaki, Jessica Hennessy, plus Jessie Stapleton listed again) and 3 Northern Irish players (Natalie Johnson, Caragh Hamilton, Casey Howe).
- Crystal Palace features 3 Irish players (Hayley Nolan, Ruesha Littlejohn, Abbie Larkin). Ruesha Littlejohn transferred to the club on 20.09.2025.
- Sunderland includes 4 Irish players (Grace Moloney, Jamie Finn, Marissa Sheva, Izzy Atkinson) and 1 Northern Irish player (Niamh Boothroyd).
- Durham includes 4 Irish players (Lillie Coulson, Tyler Toland, Dee Bradley, Eleanor Ryan-Doyle) and 2 Northern Irish players (Sarah Robson, Leyla McFarland).
- Newcastle United includes 2 Irish players (Aoife Mannion, Emily Murphy) and 1 Northern Irish player (Rachel Furness).
Players from the Americas and Caribbean
- Jamaica (JAM): Players are spread across four clubs, including Siobhan Wilson (Birmingham City), Allyson Swaby (Crystal Palace), Natasha Thomas (Ipswich Town), Shania Hayles (Newcastle United), Melissa Johnson (Nottingham Forest), Atlanta Primus (Southampton), Reanna Blades (Sunderland), and Satara Murray (Sheffield United).
- USA (American): Three players represent the USA, including Adrianna Franch (Birmingham City), Gillian Kenney (Charlton Athletic), and Shae Yañez (Crystal Palace). Catriona Sheppard (Durham) is also listed with USA nationality.
- Canada (CAN): Deanne Rose (Nottingham Forest), Francesca Finlayson (Charlton Athletic), and Kaila Novak (Durham) are listed.
- Haiti (HTI): Batcheba Louis plays for Birmingham City.
- Venezuela (VEN): Mariana Speckmaier plays for Durham.
- Chile (CHL): Camila Sáez plays for Bristol City.
Players from Continental Europe (Excluding Home Nations)
- South Korea (KOR): Birmingham City features three players from South Korea: So-Hyun Cho, Geum-Min Lee, and Yu-Ri Choe.
- Netherlands (NLD): Comfort Erhabor (Portsmouth), Femke Liefting (Newcastle United), and Ashleigh Weerden (Crystal Palace) are listed.
- Sweden (SWE): My Cato (Crystal Palace), Ebba Hed (Nottingham Forest), and Tove Almqvist (Nottingham Forest) are listed.
- Denmark (DNK): Sille Struck (Bristol City) and Amalie Thestrup (Charlton Athletic) are listed.
- Finland (FIN): Anna Tamminen and Oona Sevenius play for Newcastle United.
- Poland (POL): Małgorzata Grec plays for Newcastle United.
- Spain (ESP): Vicky Losada plays for Bristol City.
- France (FRA): Océane Hurtré plays for Birmingham City.
- Greece (GRC): Veatriki Sarri plays for Birmingham City.
- Belgium (BEL): Justine Vanhaevermaet plays for Crystal Palace.
Players from Australasia
- New Zealand (NZL): Grace Neville (Ipswich Town), Michaela Foster (Durham), Hannah Blake (Durham), and Indiah-Paige Riley (Crystal Palace) are listed. Olivia Page (Sheffield United) is also listed but recently transferred to Newcastle Jets FC.
This analysis confirms that while English players form the base of every WSL 2 squad, the league relies heavily on talent from the nearby Irish and Scottish associations, along with targeted recruitment from around the world to fill key roles, as suggested by the figure of 38.4% of players being foreign legionaries.