Rich Laverty

Only Beard and Kirk have swapped one WSL club for another – most managers don’t return to the top flight

November 26, 2020

Rich Laverty's Women's Football Column at The Offside Rule

Birmingham City boss Ward will join their exclusive club if she can be swayed by West Ham but it’s hard to predict the future for sacked Spurs duo Hills and Amoros when [...]

The formula for The Top 100 Female Footballers 2020

November 19, 2020

After a tumultuous year of global uncertainty, one thing has stayed consistent: The Offside Rule and Guardian Sport are back with the familiar annual staple of the Top 100 [...]

Talents of rival Manchester sides set to star in Lionesses November camp

November 18, 2020

Manchester City’s Laura Coombs and Manchester United’s Lauren James are deserving of their international call-ups – and their recent WSL form proves it, writes Rich [...]

Perfect timing for another Women’s Football Weekend

November 13, 2020

Women’s Football Weekend couldn’t be coming at a better time for both the Barclays Women’s Super League and the FA Women’s Championship, writes Rich Laverty. Both [...]

The battle for Lionesses first choice goalkeeper position

November 6, 2020

The quality of goalkeepers is well on the rise in the women’s game, particularly at the top level with regular goalkeeper coaching now something of a normality rather than [...]

Cancellation of international matches could wreak havoc on young Lionesses’ development

October 30, 2020

Cancellations or postponements such as England’s aborted match versus Germany this week are a blow for young players itching for competitive international debuts. They may [...]

Blockbuster November on the cards as top WSL contenders gear up for first meetings

October 21, 2020

In this week’s column, Rich Laverty is impressed by the bright starts made by an array of WSL teams this season. Could we be witnessing the most competitive WSL season so [...]

Lionesses squad selection based on future planning as Phil Neville looks ahead

October 14, 2020

Rich Laverty explains why international managers make the selections they do and the reasoning behind making tough calls. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had the same [...]

Women’s football has never been more exciting as new stars arrive in the WSL and tournaments beckon

October 7, 2020

Rich Laverty’s first Offside Rule column looks at what promises to be a bright year in the WSL and reflects on a career that began on this very website. Source: [...]

Top 100 Female Footballers of 2019: the process

December 6, 2019

93 judges with 40 choices each, casting a total of 3,720 votes. Rich Laverty explains the complex process behind finding the Top 100 female footballers of 2019, as produced [...]