Kirsty Hanson Joins Tottenham: A Smart Move for WSL Ambitions
Kirsty Hanson’s summer move will not top any list of blockbuster arrivals. No fanfare, no viral unveiling video, no scramble for shirt sales.
But it might be the smartest bit of business in the Women's Super League.
Tottenham have quietly taken Aston Villa’s talisman and handed new manager Martin Ho a forward who finished last season as the WSL’s third-highest scorer. Twelve goals in 22 games, for a side that finished ninth. Only Khadija Shaw and Alessia Russo found the net more often.
That is not a player changing clubs for a fresh start. That is a proven finisher stepping into a team with serious ambitions.
From loan gamble to Villa linchpin
Hanson’s explosion last season did not come out of nowhere. It was the peak of a steady climb that began long before her name was in the Golden Boot conversation.
She helped Manchester United build their women’s side into a serious force, then hit a wall. Minutes dried up. Confidence went with them.
Villa took a chance in 2022, bringing her in on loan. She arrived needing a reset, short on belief, searching for a manager and a club who would back her.
They did. She responded.
Across 100 appearances for Villa, Hanson scored 26 goals and collected two player-of-the-season awards. The numbers tell one story; her importance tells another. Last season alone, she scored 43% of Villa’s league goals. Almost half. One player carrying that much of the attacking burden in a struggling side is rare at this level.
Her finishing was ruthless too. Among the league’s top five scorers, she posted the best shots-on-target ratio at 50%. When she pulled the trigger, it usually mattered.
Hanson has not forgotten what Villa did for her.
"I've got to thank Villa so much. They know that I left on good terms. I really enjoyed my time," she told BBC Sport. "Everyone there helped me boost my confidence again. Hopefully, I can just build on that now, but I'm not putting pressure on myself."
Leaving a club that rebuilt her for one that wants to reach the next tier was never going to be simple.
"It was obviously a very tough decision to leave Villa but just looking at Spurs, you could see their ambition and each season they have been improving," she said.
The Ho factor
Ambition alone doesn’t pull a player like Hanson out of a settled role. A familiar face did.
"When they appointed Martin [Ho] as manager, I think that was a big statement because he is one of the best coaches I've worked with."
Hanson knows exactly what she is getting with Ho. The pair worked together at Manchester United between 2020 and 2023, when he was assistant coach. He saw first-hand what she could become. This summer, he made sure Tottenham paid to bring her in permanently for an undisclosed fee.
"I know he gets the best out of me with the detail he puts in. I really think that will push me further on in my career," she said.
This is not a sentimental reunion. It is a calculated move from a coach who believes Hanson can be a cornerstone of his project.
"Training's been really tough. It was probably one of the toughest pre-seasons I've done so far. Martin is challenging us, trying to push us to our limits.
"That's what I really wanted, because I needed a challenge. I don't just want to be signed because they think I'm good, I want them to improve me."
That line tells you why Tottenham moved. They are not just buying last season’s goals; they are banking on what comes next.
Spurs aim higher
Tottenham finished fifth last season. Respectable. Not enough.
The target now is clear: crack the WSL’s top three and reach the Women's Champions League.
Hanson is a major part of that push, but she is not walking into a one-woman show. Spurs have gone aggressive in the market. West Ham’s top scorer Shekiera Martinez has arrived. So has France defender Alice Sombath from Lyon, and creative midfielder Victoria Pelova from Arsenal.
That is spine-building recruitment. It also means nobody is guaranteed a place.
"It's going to be tough. I'm not expecting anything. My main aim is just to be better because I've got so many levels to go to. Martin knows that as well," Hanson said.
"I'm definitely comfortable [in the WSL] now but I still don't see myself as one of the best. I'm very critical of myself."
Competition does not scare her. It energises her.
"I knew the level of players that were here. I'm just so excited to learn from them. I'm also here to help others, because that's what I've done at every club.
"I might not be the most talented but I've got a lot of fight and hunger in me. I literally run through a brick wall for my team. Hopefully I've showed them that."
More than a finisher
Look beyond the goals and Hanson’s profile fits exactly what Tottenham need if they are to close the gap to the elite.
At Villa, she did almost everything. Only two team-mates created more chances than her 16 last season. She had the most touches in the opposition box. She pressed, chased, tackled, intercepted. By most defensive metrics for her position, she ranked among the league’s best.
She stretches defences, links play, and still finds space to finish. Those are the habits of a forward who understands far more than just the final touch.
Off the pitch, she has grown too. Hanson holds a degree in sports coaching and talks like someone who sees the game in layers, not just moments.
Asked where she has developed most, she said: "I know what to do at different points in the game. I know how to calm players down.
"Previously when I worked with Martin, I was younger and I wouldn't have been able to cope with that as much. But now I've definitely matured a lot."
That maturity will matter in a Tottenham dressing room that now carries genuine expectation. This is no longer a team happy to sit in mid-table and punch up occasionally. They open their WSL season at home to West Ham on 6 September with pressure attached.
Hanson has chosen to step into that pressure, with a coach who demands more and a club that wants to break through the glass ceiling of the top three.
She has already proved she can drag a struggling side up the table. The real question now is what her numbers look like in a team built to attack, with quality around her and a manager who knows exactly how to use her.
If Tottenham’s gamble pays off, this quiet transfer might be the one everyone talks about when the season ends.
