Second City derby connections
Women
1 hour ago
Aston Villa host neighbours Birmingham City in the Women's Super League on Sunday, looking to respond after back-to-back defeats.
A number of notable names have represented both sides of the Second City over the years, with some providing memorable Villa moments in this very fixture.
So, as the teams prepare to do battle once more at Villa Park, we're taking a look at six players to have stepped out for both clubs...
Rachel Corsie
Centre half Rachel Corsie joined Villa in January 2022, bringing plenty of experience and leadership to the back line.
That season the side went on to record the club's best-ever finish in the Women's Super League (5th).
The Scotland international took over the captain's armband ahead of the 2023/24 season, going on to make 58 total appearances in claret and blue before retiring from the game in 2025.
Earlier in her career she enjoyed a short stint across town at Birmingham City, featuring nine times across all competitions in 2020 whilst on loan from NWSL club Utah Royals.
Hannah Hampton
Birmingham born goalkeeper Hannah Hampton started her professional career across town with the Blues.
She spent part of her childhood in Spain with Villarreal CF's academy before returning to England and signing her first professional deal with Birmingham City in April 2017.
Four years later Hampton swapped royal blue and white for claret and blue as she directly crossed the Second City divide to join Aston Villa.
Her excellent performances during her two-year stay in B6 garnered international recognition with England, making her Lionesses debut in February 2022.
Lucy Staniforth
Midfielder Lucy Staniforth joined Aston Villa in the twilight of her career, signing in January 2023 from Manchester United and quickly cementing her place in the heart of the team’s midfield.
She played 17 times in the second half of that campaign as Villa recorded their best-ever WSL finish of fifth place.
Staniforth battled through several injury setbacks to make 38 further appearances for the Villans over the next three campaigns, before hanging up her boots in May 2026.
Our rivals Birmingham City were one of six other clubs Staniforth represented during her storied career in English football. She scored 7 goals in 39 appearances for the Blues between 2018 and 2020.
Simone Magill
After nearly a decade at Everton, forward Simone Magill joined Aston Villa in 2022.
She sadly suffered an ACL injury while on international duty with Northern Ireland at the Euros that summer, sidelining her for over a year.
After months of hard work and perseverance, Magill made her long-awaited debut for Villa in May 2023 and would go on to make 21 appearances for the club.
Upon the expiry of her contract in late 2024, she signed for our rivals Birmingham, where she has scored nine goals in 20 appearances to date.
Emily Ramsey
Emily Ramsey joined the Aston Villa Women goalkeeper union this past summer, bringing vast experience from across the Women’s Super League including across town at Birmingham City.
She made 17 appearances for the Blues during a year-long loan from Manchester United, keeping a clean sheet for the blues in their 1-0 WSL win at Villa Park on the final day before their demotion to the second tier.
After signing for Villa this July, Ramsey missed the first few games of the season as she rehabbed from a pre-existing leg injury.
However she has since featured three times in the Players Cup, notably saving two spot kicks in a shootout decider against Birmingham last month as the Villans took the bonus point and local bragging rights.
Carla Ward
Carla Ward became Aston Villa Manager in May 2021, joining from cross-city rivals Birmingham City where she spent one season in charge.
She immediately endeared herself to the Villa faithful by winning her maiden Second City derby 1-0 at St Andrews.
In the following years Ward achieved great success, establishing Villa as a top flight mainstay, before guiding the side to a fifth placed finish, which still stands as the highest-ever placing the club has achieved in the WSL.
Sunday's Second City Derby is an occasion supporters won't want to miss, with a variety of pre-match activities and special edition merchandise as Villa Women kick off their 30th anniversary celebrations.
The Sports Illustrated Warehouse will host a special pre-match event where supporters can hear from an expert panel of Villa Women legends from throughout our history, including current skipper Rachel Daly.
