Sam Tierney’s role at Leicester City reached new heights when she made her 100th appearance for the club last season, she tells The Halfway Line exclusively.
The feat marked a major milestone for the versatile midfielder, but for Tierney, football is about more than personal numbers. It’s about responsibility, leadership, and helping to shape the culture of a club that continues to grow on and off the pitch.
“Getting to 100 appearances was a massive honour of mine,” Tierney reflected. “But, I think it comes with a responsibility now to show players that come to this club, and that are at this club, what it means to play for Leicester.”
‘When it’s been tough, we’ve rallied round eachother’
Since the arrival of head coach Amandine Miquel last year, Leicester have sought to balance hard work with enjoyment.
“She wants to allow players to try things, make mistakes, and most importantly, learn from them,” Tierney said of Miquel. “Having a manager who doesn’t put pressure on you to make sure every little thing has to be perfect — that’s how you actually improve, because you’re willing to try.
“She also tries not to take life too seriously, which gives you perspective. When we’re on the training pitch, we’re focused and we work just as hard, but that perspective allows you to enjoy the game a bit more.”
“Everyone wants to look after each other and help each other,” Tierney highlighted passionately. “We’re a team that is together, and hopefully we show that on the pitch. Even in pre-season, when it’s been tough, we’ve rallied round each other and pushed each other on.”
‘Progress has had to come — maybe for some of us, we would want it a bit quicker’ says Tierney on Leicester City
Tierney was part of the Leicester side that earned promotion to the Women’s Super League in 2021. Looking back, she says the journey has been one of gradual development.
“Progress has had to come — maybe for some of us, we would want it a bit quicker, but we’ve had to learn a lot,” Tierney said. “That’s the nature of the league. Every year it’s getting tougher, and we’ve had a lot of change. But I’ve definitely seen progress, whether it’s the players coming in or the standards we’re setting. We’re going in the right direction.”
A defender earlier in her career, the 26-year-old’s adaptability is now one of her biggest strengths in midfield.
“I’ve had experience being a centre half, a holding mid, playing higher up — and I think one thing I can bring is an understanding of the defensive mindset. If we’re all going forward, I can help secure.
“But equally, I go forward just as much. The midfield is a key area. It’s important people understand every role in there. That’s something I try to help players with, and they help me as well.”
Her advice to younger players is clear:“It’s important to master one position, but you’ve got to understand what each role needs in order to support the team. That’s how you create connections, and that’s how your team can really flow.”
‘That’s what we want as footballers — to raise the standard’
Looking to the new campaign, Tierney and her teammates want to build on last year’s foundations.
“The main thing is to progress from last year. One area we want to improve on is getting goals from different areas of the pitch, not just relying on one player. We’ve spoken about set pieces too — how can we find those fine margins, both attacking and defensively? We want to become a team that’s very difficult to beat, but also exciting on the ball.”
The WSL continues to evolve, with newly promoted London City Lionesses set to make their debut this season. For Tierney, the competition the side owned by Michele Kang will bring is exactly what players like her want.
“Every year the league gets more competitive. That’s what we want as footballers — to raise the standard. Hopefully in the future the league can expand, so we get more competitive teams and more excitement at both ends of the table.”
Leicester have a strong foundation of their own, and playing home games at the King Power Stadium is something Tierney never takes for granted.
“It’s huge. Sometimes you forget it, but actually the perspective is we’re incredibly lucky that the club supports us in that way. Playing at such a fantastic stadium and training ground — these are big steps forward. Hopefully, with the Lionesses’ success and teams like Arsenal moving games to their main stadiums, that momentum can filter through and bring more fans in. I think it’s an exciting prospect for the future.”
