Lucy O’Brien Signs New Deal with Ipswich Town

Lucy O’Brien has underlined her loyalty to Ipswich Town by signing a new contract that keeps her at Portman Road through to the end of the 2026/27 season.

The 22-year-old attacker, a former England youth international, was due to be out of contract this summer. Instead of testing the market, she has chosen to extend her stay with the club that shaped her, a decision announced by the Tractor Girls on their official channels this afternoon.

This is not a routine renewal. O’Brien is woven into Ipswich’s modern story. She joined the club’s academy as a youngster, climbed through the age groups and forced her way into the senior side, becoming one of the most recognisable products of the club’s pathway.

Last season brought a major landmark as she helped Ipswich Town lift the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division title in 2024/25, a campaign that underlined both her maturity and the team’s ambition. She also featured 12 times in Barclays WSL2, gaining valuable experience in a higher-intensity environment and proving she can cope with the step up.

The club view her as far from the finished article. At 22, there is development still to come, and Ipswich have moved decisively to secure her for at least another 12 months, building a core around players who know the badge and the demands that come with it.

For O’Brien, the decision is rooted in history and emotion as much as footballing logic.

“This club has been such a big part of my life since I first joined and I’m delighted to sign a new deal here,” she said after putting pen to paper, capturing the depth of that bond in a few simple lines.

Her comments also pointed to the collective spirit that carried Ipswich through last season’s battles.

“The team showed so much fight and togetherness last season and everyone is so eager to continue that progress and kick on in the year ahead.”

That hunger to “kick on” frames the context of this extension. Ipswich are not treating last season’s title as a destination but as a starting point. Retaining a homegrown attacker with league-winning experience and WSL2 minutes on her CV fits that plan.

O’Brien’s renewed deal gives the squad both continuity and a symbol: a player who has only ever worn Ipswich colours at senior level choosing to stay when she could have walked away.

More contract calls and squad decisions will follow in the coming weeks. For now, Ipswich have secured one of their own, and that feels like the kind of foundation on which a serious push for the next step can be built.