Sky Sport: Birmingham City star joins Wolves

Birmingham City prospect Layla Banaras has joined Wolves Women on dual registration.

Banaras, who turns 18 later this month, is the first South Asian descent woman to play the Blues in the professional era.

Layla Banaras, a Birmingham City pioneer, has joined Wolves Women on a dual registration basis.

Banaras is the first South Asian woman to play professionally for Birmingham, and she has been a fixture on the first-team bench in recent weeks as the club looks to reclaim promotion to the Women’s Super League.

Breaking: Birmingham City name 16-year-old Layla Banaras on the bench for @BarclaysWC clash with leaders @bristolcitywfc at Ashton Gate ⚽️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇵🇰🦁#LaylaB is one of the country's most promising South Asian heritage players ✨https://t.co/E3Xc2id5Jm

⚽️#BCFC💙#KRO 💚 @FootballPak pic.twitter.com/IgNPGxLCXH

— Dev Trehan (@DevTrehan) November 20, 2022

The teenager, who will turn 18 later this month, made her first-team debut in January 2023, coming on as a substitute against Huddersfield Town in the Women’s FA Cup.

Tough-tackling Banaras, who has an English mother and a Pakistani father, attended Oasis Academy Hobmoor and began his football career with Solihull Moors FC.

Banaras, who can play in both defence and midfield, captained Birmingham’s U16 team before moving on to become a regular in the club’s youth squad.

The talented wing-back, who is only 16 years and 25 days old, played the entire 90 minutes as the youngest player on the pitch in the 2021/22 FA WSL U21 Academy Cup final versus Manchester United at St George’s Park, fueling speculation that she will be called up to England’s national team.

Former Blues manager Carla Ward praised Banaras for creating a nutrition guide and meal planner for Muslim athletes to prepare for fasting during Ramadan, which was featured on Sky Sports News.Banaras was just 14 at the time.

The adolescent, who has previously stated that she aims to inspire other young Muslim girls to play football, began devising a healthy-eating regimen for players while fasting after discovering that there is little instruction available for athletes exercising during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

Layla Banaras makes the matchday squad for the first time! 💙

She will wear the no.42. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/kIvqfXPbFo

— Birmingham City Women (@BCFCWomen) November 20, 2022

Banaras received support from friends, family, and former teammates at the Queen’s Baton Relay in preparation for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

She was included in Birmingham City’s kit launch last season, with men’s first-team academy graduate Brandon Khela, as the club celebrated their ethnic diversity to sell their new kit.