Kirsty Hanson Joins Tottenham: A Bold Move for Spurs' Ambitions

Kirsty Hanson’s move to Tottenham did not dominate the headlines this summer. It probably should have.

While big-name imports grabbed the spotlight, Spurs quietly picked up last season’s third-highest scorer in the Women’s Super League – a forward who carried Aston Villa’s attack almost on her own. Hanson hit 12 goals in 22 league games, outscored only by Khadija Shaw and Alessia Russo, and she did it for a side that finished ninth.

Now, at 28, she has walked away from comfort and status to test herself in north London.

From low on confidence to Villa talisman

Hanson’s surge into the WSL’s elite last season didn’t come out of nowhere. It was the product of a steady climb that began long before her breakout campaign.

She had been central to Manchester United’s early years as a professional women’s side, then drifted to the fringes as game time dried up. When Villa took her on loan in 2022, she arrived short on belief and in need of a reset.

She found it.

Across four years at Villa, Hanson scored 26 goals in 100 appearances and collected two player-of-the-season awards. The loan turned permanent, the confidence returned, and the numbers exploded.

"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 that behind was never going to be easy.

"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.

Reunion with a coach who knows her game

That ambition sharpened into focus the moment Tottenham appointed Martin Ho as manager. For Hanson, it was a statement.

"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."

The pair know each other well from Ho’s spell as assistant at Manchester United between 2020 and 2023. Back then, he saw enough to make her a priority signing as soon as he stepped into the Spurs job. The club backed him, paying an undisclosed fee to bring her in.

"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," Hanson said.

This is not a sentimental reunion. It is a calculated move from both sides. Ho wants a proven WSL finisher who understands his demands. Hanson wants a coach who will drive her harder than ever.

"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," she said. "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."

Spurs aim higher – and raise the bar

Tottenham finished fifth last season. Respectable, but not enough for a club now openly talking about breaking into the WSL’s top three and chasing Champions League football.

Hanson is one piece of a bolder, more aggressive rebuild. Spurs have also brought in West Ham’s top scorer Shekiera Martinez, France defender Alice Sombath from Lyon and creative midfielder Victoria Pelova from Arsenal.

The message is clear: no one walks into this XI. You fight for it.

Hanson is up for that.

"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," she admitted. "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."

She knows exactly what kind of dressing room she is walking into – and what she can offer it.

"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."

The numbers behind the reputation

Look beneath the surface of last season and Hanson’s value becomes even clearer.

She scored 43% of Villa’s total league goals. Almost half. Among the WSL’s top five scorers, she had the best shots-on-target ratio at 50%, a sign of a forward who doesn’t waste many chances.

She wasn’t just finishing moves either. Only two Villa players created more chances than her 16, and she registered the most touches in the opposition box. She lived in dangerous areas and constantly asked questions of defences.

Her contribution without the ball matched that intensity. Hanson ranked among the top performers in her position for defensive actions, from tackles to interceptions. She pressed, harried and worked back, the sort of all-round output that modern coaches crave.

No wonder Ho pushed so hard to get her.

A sharper mind, not just sharper finishing

The Scotland international speaks now like a player who understands her game – and others’ – on a deeper level. She holds a degree in sports coaching and talks about game management and leadership as comfortably as she does about goals.

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 at a club trying to jump from promising to ruthless.

Tottenham open their WSL campaign at home to West Ham on 6 September. The new signings will be under immediate scrutiny, the expectations obvious. Hanson, though, has already shown she can thrive when the pressure sits squarely on her shoulders.

If she brings last season’s edge, and Ho once again unlocks the best version of her, this quiet summer move might end up defining Spurs’ season – and their push towards the Champions League places.