Hayley Ladd: Man Utd's unsung hero has a 'unique skillset'

Manchester United manager Marc Skinner has challenged defensive midfielder Hayley Ladd to ‘believe in herself’ more when it comes to the technical side of her game.

Ladd has long forged a reputation as a destructive midfielder capable of breaking up play and providing a foundation for naturally more creative teammates further up the pitch like Ella Toone and Leah Galton to make chances.

The Wales international has been fundamental to United’s consistency as a top flight club, never finishing outside the WSL top four since promotion in 2019. Ladd was signed for United that year by former boss Casey Stoney but had previously worked under Skinner for two years at Birmingham.

She has also long been highly valued by her teammates, winning the club’s player of the year award at the end of her first season in 2019/20, as voted for by the squad themselves.

The aforementioned Toone and Galton, as well as the likes of Alessia Russo, new arrival Lucia Garcia and goalkeeper Mary Earps are often much more celebrated, because their impact is more obviously measurable – the forwards scoring or assisting goals and Earps saving them.

“Hayley Ladd has a really unique skillset,” Skinner has said.

Ladd was left on the bench as United beat Leicester and Brighton last month, with Skinner favouring the more naturally attacking Lucy Staniforth against opponents not expected to have much of the ball in open play. But Ladd, who had already shone in a tough away game against West Ham, was brought back in for another expectedly difficult match against Everton at the weekend.

The performance, which was rewarded with a Barclays player of the match award, showed far more than just the defensive attributes for which she is usually known. It was a refined and polished all-round display that saw her impact each goal in the impressive 3-0 win.

“She’s very good at closing down in 10-yard areas, exceptional at doing it,” Skinner reflected, with Ladd’s high press directly setting up the move that led to Nikita Parris’ early goal on Sunday.

But the United boss, who has made Ladd a member of this four-player leadership group, has been asking for more of her: “I’m challenging Hayley.”

Skinner sees more than just a number six who shields. He sees a number eight capable of doing both sides of the ball well, which was seen against Everton.

Having created the early goal with a tackle, a pass into the space in front of Galton assisted the second, while the third United goal was Ladd’s own superb first-time side foot into the top corner.

“Hayley Ladd is great on the ball but has just go to believe in herself. We’re doing a lot of work on movement out of spaces for our players to progress the ball and she’s taking that on board – it just takes a bit of time,” Skinner has explained.

Those attributes on both sides of the ball will be even more important this coming weekend when United face Chelsea in their first test against one of last season’s WSL top three, especially when it comes to breaking the press and gaining a foothold in the game from which to create.

For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!