Millie Turner leaves Manchester United after eight years to join Birmingham

Millie Turner has departed Manchester United after eight years at the club and signed for newly-promoted Birmingham City.

Birmingham confirmed the centre-back’s arrival for an undisclosed fee on Wednesday. She had two years remaining on her contract with United, which she signed last summer.

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Turner, 30, joined United in 2018 following the reformation of the women’s team and helped them earn promotion to the Women’s Super League during their debut season.

She made 133 league appearances, scored nine goals and captained the side on several occasions. She helped United win their first piece of silverware in 2024 as they lifted the FA Cup, and was part of the side that qualified for the Champions League main draw for the first time in 2025.

However, she was restricted to just six WSL starts last season, with United’s director of women’s football Matt Johnson citing her need for more game time as a reason for her departure.

“Millie’s contribution to Manchester United Women has been immense,” Johnson said in a press release. “It is important that she now has the opportunity to go and enjoy more regular game time at this stage of her career.”

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Birmingham will return to the WSL in 2026-27 after Amy Merricks’ side won the WSL2 title, securing promotion with a final-day 2-0 victory over Charlton Athletic. They will compete in the top flight for the first time since being relegated in 2022.

“This is where I want to be,” Turner said. “It’s an exciting project and I think there’s no ceiling to what we can achieve here.”

Turner has been capped twice by England at international, making her Lionesses debut as a substitute in a 5-1 friendly victory over Italy in February 2024 before earning her first start in a 1-0 win over Switzerland that December.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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