Iman Beney’s rise from a 12-year-old who travelled three hours to training in Switzerland to a breakout star in the Women’s Super League has been rapid. The 19-year-old, eye-catching at last summer’s Euros, has become a key figure in Manchester City’s charge, helping them sit top of the WSL, a point ahead of Chelsea.
Andree Jeglertz’s side have strung together seven straight league wins — their best run since 2023 — and Beney has stepped up sooner than many expected after early-season injuries to Kerolin and Lauren Hemp. Jeglertz has singled out her composure and confidence, noting that both coach and player are still working out how to unlock even more from her game.
At City’s training ground she displays a maturity beyond her years. She remembers the turning point at 12, when life in a Swiss academy made the professional path feel real and cemented her ambition to pursue football as a career. Her father played a major role in that development, pushing her to accept sacrifices and guiding the practical steps toward becoming a pro.
Beney comes from a footballing family — her father and aunt were professionals and her brother Romeo plays as a winger for Famalicao in Portugal — and a competitive household helped fuel her progress. Shortlisted for the 2025 Golden Girl award (the prize went to Michelle Agyemang), she has already delivered decisive contributions for City, netting the winner in a 3-2 victory over Arsenal and scoring the equaliser in a comeback win at Liverpool in October.
Her ability to escape tight spaces and retain possession has become an asset Jeglertz relies on to manage matches. Beney admits she expected limited minutes when she arrived, but has found herself involved far more: three goal contributions in four starts underline her early impact. City are the league’s top scorers, their forwards combining for 15 goals — at least six more than any other attacking group.
In a squad with abundant attacking options, standing out is tough, but Beney has added a new dimension in a short time. She recognises the value of depth in a title fight: when some players are missing, others must step up, and that collective resilience is vital to winning a championship.
City’s seven wins from eight matches make them the first team other than Chelsea to hold top spot this deep into a season since the penultimate weekend of 2023/24, a run stretching back 78 weeks. Saturday’s Manchester derby at the Etihad is therefore pivotal — dropping points could hand momentum back to Chelsea — and Beney is set to play an important role in sustaining City’s challenge. Follow Man City vs Man Utd coverage in the live blog; kick-off 1.30pm.