Ipswich captain Maria Boswell calls WSL promotion "inevitable"
Ipswich Town Women captain Maria Boswell says promotion to the Women's Super League, the top flight of English women's football, is "inevitable". She made the comments to BBC Radio Suffolk ahead of a home match on Sunday against Sunderland.
Ipswich are third in WSL2, the second tier, after five games this season. They began with draws against Nottingham Forest and Southampton. Then they won three league games in a row, against Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United. Sunderland are second in the table, so Sunday's game brings together the two sides at the top of the division. The match is at Colchester Community Stadium.
The climb has been quick. Ipswich were playing in the fourth tier as recently as 2021. They reached the second tier in 2025, and finished ninth in WSL2 last season. The side is managed by David Wright, a former men's team player, who was appointed in April.
Boswell's own path runs alongside the club's rise. She joined Ipswich from Essex RTC in 2019, first linking up with the academy squad. She was named captain at 20, in 2023, and she has now led the team through its climb. Ipswich Town's website announced in June that she had signed a new contract with the club.
Her numbers back up the reputation. Boswell made 19 appearances in WSL2 in 2025/26, playing 1,556 minutes. She also scored a strike that won the club's Goal of the Season award for that campaign, a fitting reward for a player who has spent most of her career at the club.
For Ipswich fans, the quote is a clear statement of belief from the person who wears the armband. Whether promotion comes this season will depend on results over the coming months. For now, the captain is confident, and the club's fans have a big Sunday to look forward to.
