Maisie Symonds Commits to Brighton with Long-Term Deal

Brighton have locked in the heartbeat of their midfield and the face of their project. Captain Maisie Symonds has signed what the club describe as a long-term contract, a statement of intent from a side determined to break into the Women’s Super League elite.

At 23, Symonds is already Albion’s longest-serving player. She arrived from Chelsea in 2021, grew with the club through turbulent seasons and rebuilding phases, and now stands at the centre of Brighton’s ambition to become a permanent fixture in the WSL’s top four.

She has 103 appearances in all competitions. That number tells one story. Her influence tells another.

Head coach Dario Vidosic did not hide the scale of her importance.

“Maisie is a massive influence both on and off the pitch and since becoming captain last season she has developed both as a player and as a person,” he said. “We are thrilled that she is committing her long-term future and will be part of our vision to establish Brighton as one of the top four WSL clubs.”

This is not a routine extension. It is the club nailing its colours to the mast and choosing its standard-bearer.

Captain at Wembley, leader of a new era

If one image captures Symonds’ rise, it is her walking out at Wembley in May, armband on, leading Brighton into their first ever Women’s FA Cup final. They faced Manchester City, a club used to these stages, but for Albion it was a breakthrough moment, a sign that the ceiling is lifting.

That day under the arch felt like a glimpse of the future Brighton want to live in every season. Symonds, already the on-pitch conduit for Vidosic’s ideas, has become the symbol of that climb.

Her trajectory mirrors the club’s. She joined as a promising midfielder, grew into a regular, then into a leader, and now into a full England international in waiting. She has represented her country up to under-21 level and received her first senior call-up in March 2025, another marker of how far her game has come.

“It’s the only club I’ve ever played for professionally”

For Symonds, the decision to stay was rooted in belonging as much as ambition.

“I'm very happy. I feel so at home here,” she said. “It's the only club I've ever played for professionally and I feel I've grown so much over the last six years along with the club and the women's team.

“It really felt like we are setting high standards for ourselves with what we've been building in the last two years. We are starting to reach our potential, and we only want to get better and better.”

There is no hint of a player using a new deal as a stepping stone. The language is about roots, responsibility, and unfinished business.

A club building for the top

Brighton’s off-field plans match the tone of this renewal. Earlier this year, the club announced a bold project: Europe’s first purpose-built women’s football stadium, a £75-80m investment that underlines how seriously they view the women’s game.

A captain committing long term and a stadium designed solely for the women’s team do not happen in isolation. They are part of the same story: Brighton moving from plucky contenders to a club expecting to live among the WSL’s heavyweights.

Vidosic has been clear about the target – top four. Symonds, now tied to the club for the long haul, will be the one driving that push from the centre of the pitch.

The question is no longer whether Brighton are serious. It is how quickly Symonds and this emerging side can turn vision into a permanent place at the top table.