Sometimes it only takes one player to completely change the fortunes of a club.

Enter: Fran Kirby, the new Brighton signing who is on a mission to prove exactly how much of an impact she makes on the pitch.

GettyMadison Haley is one Brighton star who could be set for a breakout season[/caption]

Brighton had an inconsistent campaign last year: they made the questionable decision to sack their manager Melissa Phillips in February 2024 when the club was in tenth place in the table, having just been beaten by eventual champions Chelsea. 

It was perhaps strange, given that at that point the club had won three, drawn two and lost seven in the WSL.

They were largely where one would have expected them to be at that point given the teams they had faced (including Chelsea twice, and one game each against Arsenal, Manchester United, Man City and Liverpool). 

Nonetheless, it was interim boss Mikey Hariss who led them through the rest of the season. 

The struggles of the newly-promoted Bristol City last season meant they were never in any real danger of going down, but they missed out in some winnable games towards the end of the season.

None of their wins were consecutive and only on two occasions did they manage to gain points in two consecutive WSL games.

But things are looking up this season thanks to a new manager and a simply fabulous Lioness. 

Their first four fixtures see them face Everton, Man City, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace though – and there is an opportunity to build up momentum there, especially if they can repeat their shock win over City from last season. 

Manager: Dario Vidosic

One person who is confident about Brighton’s new manager is his former Australia boss Ange Postecoglou, who apparently provided a glowing recommendation for him before he got the job.

Vidosic looks like a really exciting appointment for a club who will be looking to break into that WSL challenging pack this season. 

GettyVidosic is a highly-rated coach[/caption]

He not only has 16 years experience as a player – including 23 international caps for Australia – but he also has experience of winning titles as a manager. 

He guided Melbourne City Women club to the A League title last season and just missed out on a Grand Final win too. 

Moreover, the key thing for Brighton when it comes to their manager this season is stability and they’ll be hoping the 37-year-old’s experience will help him offer just that. 

Vidosic is Brighton’s fourth permanent head coach in less than two years and six different people have taken charge of the team since then. 

Brighton were without a permanent coach in the latter half of last season after former boss Melissa Phillips was sacked in February, and academy coach Mikey Harris had led them during the interim. 

Star player: Fran Kirby

She may have only just joined, but Lioness and all-time top scorer for Chelsea Women Fran Kirby would be the star signing of more than a few teams.

And for Brighton, who have hovered around that mid-table mark for some time, the Euro 2022 winner has the capability to completely revolutionise their side.

“I’m a competitive person and I wanted to come to a club who matched my ambitions, to set high standards on and off the pitch and to use my experience to help the young players develop,” she said of her move. 

GettyKirby is a bona fide WSL legend[/caption]

“I want to help create a culture with a group of players who want amazing success.”

At 31 years old, Kirby was perhaps no longer as prolific for Chelsea as she may have liked – but the wealth of talent at Stamford Bridge hardly makes that surprising. 

For the Seagulls though, there is little doubt that she will be one of the first names onto the team sheet.

Brighton scored a total of 26 goals in the whole WSL season last year – while Kirby has been known to score as many as 16 in a campaign alone. 

One to watch: Sophie Baggaley

For someone who became a goalkeeper completely by chance, Sophie Baggaley is exceptionally good at what she does. 

The Brighton keeper once told Twentytwo magazine that she had only stood in at a boy’s team game when she was young when she had suddenly discovered quite how good she was between the sticks. 

GettyBaggaley saw one of her saves liked by former Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea on instagram[/caption]

And the Seagulls probably now feel that signing the England youth star on deadline day last year was one of their most valuable transfers ever. 

Last season, Baggaley put on one of the performances of her career as Brighton travelled to the formidable Man City – and pulled off a shock 1-0 victory. 

What was perhaps most exceptional though was that even though Man City recorded 35 shots in the game, 13 of which were on target, Baggaley held firm and managed another clean sheet. 

Baggaley had been on the fringes of the Lionesses setup too – although despite two senior call-ups, she never quite managed to make her debut though. 

However, England boss Sarina Wiegman has been known to make surprise call-ups – take the example of Laura Coombs, who ended an eight-year absence from the international setup recently. 

Baggaley could well find that a strong performance this season earns her more than just success at club level. 

Transfer window 

Kirby is not the only Chelsea star who has made her way to Brighton. 

Ex-Blues midfielder Jelena Cankovic has also become a Seagull over the summer and could combine well with the England star, given the duo will already be familiar with each other’s styles. 

GettyCankovic will add experience to the Brighton squad[/caption]

But while the club have gained Kirby, they have suffered the loss of their top scorer from last season – Elisabeth Terland. 

The Norwegian striker has signed for Manchester United, unsurprisingly attracting a lot of attention after she finished runner-up for the Golden Boot last season, scoring the same number of WSL goals as Lauren James.

It was an impressive feat given that Brighton finished only ninth in the league. 

Someone will have to step up this season to make up for her clinical edge in front of goal – but then again, Chelsea Women’s all-time top goalscorer Kirby is more than capable of that. 

And on top of that, Brighton have also managed to add Nikita Parris as a free agent.