| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Safia Middleton-Patel | ||
| Date of birth | 21 September 2004 | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Manchester United | ||
| Number | 39 | ||
| 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) | 6 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019–2021 | Wales U17 | 6 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Wales U19 | 6 | (0) |
| 2023– | Wales | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 December 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 July 2024 | |||
Safia Middleton-Patel (born 21 September 2004) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Manchester United of the Women's Super League, and the Wales national team. [1]
Having made five appearances for Liverpool under-16s youth team, [2] Middleton-Patel joined Women's Super League club Manchester United in summer 2020. [3] During the 2021–22 season, she was part of the under-21 team that won the WSL Academy League and Academy Cup double. [3] She was named to her first senior matchday squad for the club on 5 February 2022, a WSL match against Arsenal. [4] She signed her first senior professional contract with the club in January 2023. [5]
In November 2021, Middleton-Patel joined Blackburn Rovers of the Women's Championship on dual registration terms. [6] 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. [7] She was an unused substitute behind Sophie Harris as Leicester lost 3–2. [8]
On 11 February 2023, Middleton-Patel joined Championship club Coventry United on an emergency goalkeeper loan for a home match against Blackburn Rovers. [9] She made her senior debut the following day, starting as Coventry won 3–1. [10] In total she played three matches, conceding nine goals.
On 26 April 2023, Middleton-Patel returned to Blackburn Rovers on an emergency loan deal. [11] Four days later, she kept her first clean sheet in senior football as Blackburn beat Sunderland 1–0. [12]
On 19 January 2024, she joined Championship club Watford on loan for the remainder of the 2023–24 season. [13] [14] She made a total of six appearances, keeping two clean sheets and conceding eight goals, as Watford finished last and were relegated.
Following the summer departure of Mary Earps, Middleton-Patel assumed the role of backup behind Phallon Tullis-Joyce. On 11 December 2024, she made her Manchester United debut in the final group stage game of the 2024–25 Women's League Cup against Championship side Newcastle United. United won 5–3.
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. [15] 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. [16] She played the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 victory for Wales. [17] She departed camp prior to the second game in order to appear for the under-19 team. [18]
Middleton-Patel was born to an Indian father and a Welsh mother. [19] [20] In September 2023, Middleton-Patel revealed via social media that she had recently been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. [21] [22]
| 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 |
| 2022–23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Career total | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Wales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 |