After joining our Academy setup aged 15 in 2020 from Liverpool, Safia Middleton-Patel has risen through the ranks to United Women’s first team.

Signing her first professional contract with the club in January 2023 – the 10th Academy graduate to do so – she went on to make her senior debut for the club in December 2024 against Newcastle United, following loan spells with Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City, Coventry United and Watford. The shot-stopper made her senior international debut for Wales in February 2023, and has added a handful of caps to her collection since then. Later that year, she opened up about her autism diagnosis on social media, before sitting down with the club to talk about being a role model and how her team-mates helped her. In August 2025, she signed a new contract with United, extending her stay until June 2028.