There are easier decisions in women's football than staying put at a relegated club when the summer window is wide open and the offers are presumably coming in. Sam Tierney made the harder one — and she is not remotely sorry about it.

When Leicester City's women were relegated from the Women's Super League in May, the squad essentially dismantled itself. Fourteen players have since departed, including nine who featured in the play-off defeat to Charlton Athletic that sealed their fate. Goalkeeper Janina Leitzig moved to Manchester United. Attackers Hannah Cain, Noemie Mouchon and Jutta Rantala all headed to Everton. A five-year WSL stay ended in a manner uncomfortably familiar to anyone who follows the men's club, who were simultaneously dropping to League One.

Against that backdrop, Tierney's decision to sign a new deal through to 2028 carried genuine weight. The 27-year-old midfielder is Leicester's longest-serving player, with 151 appearances for the Foxes, and she is not prepared to walk away from something she feels is unfinished.

"I'm not the type to want to jump ship," she told BBC Sport. "Since I've been at Leicester, I've created a genuine connection with the club. I wanted to succeed and we've had a good number of years where it's been up and down, but I feel like now we're at a point where we can rebuild."

From a local park to King Power

Tierney joined from Sheffield United in 2020, training on a local park before the setup moved to Belvoir Drive. She has played under seven managers, been part of the squad that won promotion to the WSL in 2021, and reached the Women's FA Cup semi-finals as recently as 2024. The trajectory, when viewed across the span of her time at the club, has been one of genuine progress — even if last season's two wins from 22 matches and a goal difference of minus 41 told a grimmer story.

There were serious questions asked in the immediate aftermath of relegation: would Leicester continue playing at King Power Stadium, and would the budget be cut to the bone? The club have moved to answer them by letting departing players leave for fees that have been reinvested. Six new signings have come through the door, with three more players renewing contracts alongside their captain.

Pre-season has included a win over Rugby Borough, a draw with Manchester United and a defeat to Liverpool — a mixed bag, but Tierney says the feel around the group is different. More purposeful.

"You can see there's been a reflection period, there's been a review and you can see the direction we want to go in. We can feel that. We've changed," she said. "It's been quite refreshing. We want to be a different Leicester and it's time to change the narrative on who we are and how we're seen."

Building something that lasts

What Tierney seems most determined to avoid is a cycle of promotion, struggle and relegation that leaves the club permanently unsettled. She wants sustainability — a Leicester that does not yo-yo between the tiers and instead becomes a club that other players actively want to join.

"I want to make sure people want to play for Leicester. I want people to stay at Leicester. I want people to be jealous of Leicester," she said. "I know that's the potential of this club and hopefully we'll get that."

She acknowledges the changes "won't happen overnight", and there is a clear-eyed realism to her outlook. But there is conviction too. The kind that comes from someone who has genuinely bought into a place rather than just passing through on a contract.

Leicester open their WSL 2 campaign against Sheffield United on 6 September at 14:00 BST — a neatly circular fixture, given it was from Bramall Lane that Tierney first arrived in the East Midlands. Whether the rebuild holds together will become clearer over the months ahead. For now, the captain is staying — and that alone tells you something about what she believes this club can become.

Frequently asked

Why did Sam Tierney stay at Leicester after their WSL relegation?
Tierney says she has a genuine connection to the club built over five years and 151 appearances, and feels there is unfinished business. She signed a new contract until 2028 because she believes in Leicester's ability to rebuild and return to the WSL sustainably.
Which players left Leicester City Women after being relegated from the WSL?
Fourteen players departed in the summer window. Notable among them were goalkeeper Janina Leitzig, who joined Manchester United, and attackers Hannah Cain, Noemie Mouchon and Jutta Rantala, all of whom signed for Everton.
When do Leicester City Women play their first WSL 2 game in 2025?
Leicester open their WSL 2 season against Sheffield United on 6 September 2025 at 14:00 BST.