Liverpool Profiles: Get To Know: Leighanne Robe
 | First Name: Leighanne Last Name: Robe DOB: December 26, 1993 Birthplace: Cambridge, England Position: DEF Instagram: @leighannerobe Twitter: @leighannerobe |
“She’s proven she’s a tough defender to come up against and was leading the WSL tackling stats for much of last season, which highlights her out-of-possession qualities.”
Strong words of praise from Liverpool Women’s (now former) boss Vicky Jepson regarding LFC star defender Leighanne Robe. The Reds’ defender is one of the most essential players for the future of Liverpool women. Highly skilled and a true leader on the team, Robe has been amongst LFC Women’s most productive players over the past few years.
Born in Cambridge in 1993, Robe began to play club football at the age of seven, signing to represent her local club, Cambridge City FC. It would prove to be a springboard for her, as in 2009 Arsenal Football Club came knocking. Robe would spend the remainder of her youth career representing the Gunners, spending a total of five years in North London.
In 2014, she left Arsenal to sign for Watford, where she spent one season before joining Millwall Lionesses in 2016. An extremely versatile defender who can play anywhere across the back line, Robe became an essential part of the Lionesses squads during those two seasons. Impressively, she did not miss a single game for the club during that spell, and her performances caught the eye of then Liverpool manager Neil Redfearn. Consequently, in 2018 LFC Women announced that she had joined the club.
Unfortunately for Robe and Liverpool fans everywhere, the women’s team suffered a shocking relegation at the end of the 2019-2020 season, finishing last in the Women’s Super League. The relegation brought about a lot of fear in Liverpool fans with regards to losing some fan favorites – however Leighanne Robe would not be amongst the departing. Instead, the defender signed a two year contract extension with the club.
Her staying on delighted then-manager Vicky Jepsen, with the LFC gaffer saying in an interview on Liverpoolfc.com:
“She’s a natural competitor and has the right mindset for the challenge we have ahead to bounce straight back into the WSL…I’m delighted to see her commit to the club and I’m looking forward to working with her again.”
With the return on Robes, the Reds faithful can be hopeful for a quick return to the WSL. Robe herself spoke of what staying at Liverpool meant for her, saying that she and the girls are ready to “fight for the club,” praising her fellow teammates in the process.
“We have a very close-knit group and we’re sticking together. There’s not many changes in the team and we want to fight for each other and fight for the club.”