Performance insight
Some of Terland’s goals in 2024/25 have been undeniably spectacular, but attend a game at Leigh Sports Village – or anywhere, for that matter – and you’ll get a more visceral, physical sense of what makes Teri such a popular figure among fans and team-mates.
Put simply, it’s her energy and her tenacity; her willingness to run herself into the ground to help her colleagues. This isn’t glorious work and doesn’t always result in beautiful goals – but it’s something that’s of vast importance. Something that constitutes the foundation of United’s superb defensive work.
Despite losing elite goalkeeper Mary Earps last summer, despite the rejigging of the back four – with Jayde Riviere and Gabby George returning from the injury problems that plagued them last term – Skinner’s Reds have conceded just five in the league. That makes them the WSL’s most parsimonious side, and the collective effort starts with Terland’s terrier-like (Teri-like?!) hounding at the top of the pitch.
“You want Terland starting every single minute, in every trophy pursuit that Man United want to be a part of,” eulogised ex-England goalkeeper Rachel Finnis-Brown after the win over Spurs in the autumn. “They knew when Elisabeth Terland was brought in that she had already proved herself in the WSL with Brighton. Brighton struggled after losing her, and she’s a talismanic figure up front for Manchester United.”
In the derby at Manchester City, Terland got attacking reward for those lung-busting pressing efforts: Ella Toone’s hat-trick goal came directly from her belligerent harassing of the bewildered Blues, almost immediately after kick-off at the start of the second half. And many similar chances have been created throughout the season by the combined running of Teri, Toone and Leah Galton. But the work Terland always, always, always does off the ball also gives the defence valuable respite, and is a big factor in that near-immaculate defensive record.
