It is something that occurs less frequently. Aston Villa Women defender Sarah Mayling not only came through the academy ranks but is also a Villan through and through. She went to Birmingham City for a brief stint. Even then, she eventually came back home.
Mayling is further securing her place at AVWFC. The club announced that the 28-year-old had signed a two-year extension that would see her at Villa until 2027. A veteran, someone who has been with Villa through a lot, and now sticking around for the next chapters to come, anyone following this team cannot help but appreciate what this latest move means.
As mentioned, it is more common to see players moving on or seeking out other landing spots nowadays compared to past eras. For Mayling, she is bucking this latest trend and will be able to be a part of Natalia Arroyo's plans as the Spaniard plans to build on the late-season success that was very much apparent during the latter months of the WSL campaign.
Although AVWFC supporters rightfully celebrated that Arroyo's side was able to avoid relegation. The Villa boss' goal, however, will be to be in a position where the drop-down zone is far from a concern. Her ambitions include being a challenger for a Champions League position and pushing for silverware. Mayling is going to continue to play a significant part in those ambitions.
Most often at right back, Mayling does offer a great amount of positional versatility for Arroyo to be able to turn to.
Case in point, during Villa's last involvement, it was Mayling who assisted Maz Pacheco on the final goal during the win over Brighton & Hove Albion. It is this seamlessness to go from a full-back position to somewhere further up the pitch that likely excites Arroyo, as a manager who has shown great willingness to shift players around and make adjustments within matches.
Mayling offers a lot as Aston Villa Women defender
When Mayling is lined up at RB, she does well to anticipate the opposition's actions and prevent attacks from formulating into something that can pose too much of a danger toward the Villa goal. Then, joining in the attack, the defender shows great poise and does well to get the ball to her teammates in danger areas of the pitch.
There is a lot that will happen between Nations League and Euro 2025. When the WSL returns after the summer, Villa can count on seeing Mayling on the pitch, striving to further help the club in its ambitions.