Liverpool FC confirm 4 players to leave women’s squad – including Dutch forward

Liverpool FC Women can confirm Emma Koivisto, Melissa Lawley, Miri Taylor and Shanice van de Sanden will leave the club upon the expiry of their contracts at the end of this season.

The quartet are set to embark on new chapters in their careers having helped Matt Beard’s Reds take another step forward in the Barclays Women’s Super League in 2023/24, with a point required against Leicester City on Saturday afternoon to secure fourth place.

Koivisto has spent the past two campaigns with the club after signing from Brighton & Hove Albion and been a consistent figure in the XI predominantly as a right-sided wing-back, clocking up 50 appearances in all competitions and chipping in with four goals.

Attacker Lawley joined Liverpool from Manchester City five years ago and has featured more than 100 times.

She was a key figure in the Reds gaining promotion back to the top flight by winning the championship in 2021/22, playing every Game but one, and has been almost ever-present in the squad this season after recovering from a long-term injury.

Taylor switched to the club from the USA in January 2023 and made 15 appearances before spending the second half of this campaign on loan at Aston Villa, with her highlight undoubtedly the winning goal against Arsenal in front of more than 54,000 at Emirates Stadium on the opening day.

Van de Sanden began a second spell with Liverpool in the summer of 2022 and the forward has gone on play 29 times over the past two seasons as the Reds re-established themselves in the Women’s Super League.

“The decisions are always Football-based decisions [but] there is a lot of emotion attached to it because they’re great people,” said Beard.

“It’s probably the toughest part of the game, but it is part and parcel of the sport and the industry. As I said, they are always tough decisions but these decisions are made with them as people in mind, as well as what we’re planning to do with the squad going forward.

“They have been fantastic servants, each and every one of them, and they will definitely be missed by myself, the staff and the group.”

The four players will bid farewell to the club following the season finale this weekend, when supporters Travelling to King Power Stadium will have the chance to pay their own tributes, with more to follow across our digital channels next week.

Everyone at LFC thanks Emma, Melissa, Miri and Shanice for their contributions and wishes them and their families the very best for the future.