Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 21 September 2004 | ||
Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
Team information | |||
Current team |
Watford (on loan from Manchester United) | ||
Number | 1 | ||
Youth career | |||
–2020 | Liverpool | ||
2020– | Manchester United | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2021– | Manchester United | 0 | (0) |
2021 | → Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 0 | (0) |
2022 | → Leicester City (loan) | 0 | (0) |
2023 | → Coventry United (loan) | 3 | (0) |
2023 | → Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 1 | (0) |
2024– | → Watford (loan) | 1 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2019–2021 | Wales U17 | 6 | (0) |
2020–2021 | Wales U19 | 6 | (0) |
2023– | Wales | 1 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 January 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 February 2023 |
Safia Middleton-Patel (born 21 September 2004) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Women's Championship club Watford, on loan from Manchester United of the Women's Super League, and the Wales national team.[1]
Middleton-Patel joined Women's Super League club Manchester United from Liverpool in summer 2020. During the 2021–22 season, she was part of the under-21 team that won the WSL Academy League and Academy Cup double.[2] She was named to her first senior matchday squad for the club on 5 February 2022, a WSL match against Arsenal.[3] She signed her first senior professional contract with the club in January 2023.[4]
In November 2021, Middleton-Patel joined Blackburn Rovers of the Women's Championship on dual registration terms.[5] She was named to two matchday squads that month but did not make a senior appearance.[1]
On 12 March 2022, she joined WSL club Leicester City on an emergency goalkeeper loan for an away trip to Everton following injuries to Demi Lambourne and Kirstie Levell.[6] She was an unused substitute behind Sophie Harris as Leicester lost 3–2.[7]
On 11 February 2023, Middleton-Patel joined Championship club Coventry United on an emergency goalkeeper loan for a home match against Blackburn Rovers.[8] She made her senior debut the following day, starting as Coventry won 3–1.[9] In total she played three matches and conceded nine goals.
On 26 April 2023, Middleton-Patel returned to Blackburn Rovers on an emergency loan deal.[10] Four days later, she kept her first clean sheet in senior football as Blackburn beat Sunderland 1–0.[11]
On 19 January 2024, she joined Championship club Watford on loan for the remainder of the 2023–24 season.[12][13]
Middleton-Patel represented Wales at under-17 and under-19, appearing during 2020 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship qualification and 2022 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship qualification as well as 2022 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship qualification.
In September 2022, Middleton-Patel received her first senior Wales call-up for 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Slovenia but did not appear.[14] She was recalled to the squad during the next two windows, for two further qualifiers and a friendly but again did not appear for the team. On 15 February 2023, Middleton-Patel made her senior international debut, aged 18, when she started against the Philippines at the 2023 Pinatar Cup.[15] She played the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 victory for Wales.[16] She departed camp prior to the second game in order to appear for the under-19 team.[17]
Middleton-Patel is of Indian origin.[18][19] In September 2023, Middleton-Patel revealed via social media that she had recently been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.[20][21]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Manchester United | 2021–22 | WSL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 2021–22 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Leicester City (loan) | 2021–22 | WSL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Coventry United (loan) | 2022–23 | Championship | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 2022–23 | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Watford (loan) | 2023–24 | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career total | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Wales | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Apps | Goals |
2023 | 1 | 0 |
Total | 1 | 0 |