The Rising Star: Lenna Gunning-Williams. Acting, Scoring Goals, What's Next?

Lenna Gunning-Williams. Actress now a professional footballer at the highest level in English women’s football. All you need to know about Tottenham's number 18 

(Image credit to @lennagw on Instagram)

Lenna Gunning-Williams is a twenty-one year old footballer from Enfield London who plays as a forward for women's super league side Tottenham Hotspur. 

Lenna made her senior debut for Tottenham on the 27th of November 2022 in a league cup (which has now been renamed the subway cup) game against side Coventry united. In which she even got her first goal in the 90+3 minute of the game to secure the 5-1 win.

Lenna from ages 11-16 was also in BAFTA nominated and hit CBBC show Jamie Johnson.The series followed a young talented footballer played by Louis Dunn navigating lots of things such as school, family, trying to become a professional footballer and the pressures around it. Lenna played Jack Jamie’s best friend and a talented female footballer. She stayed until the season three finale and then had a few guest appearances here and there after that, she left as she wanted to join an academy team. She said she enjoyed acting but football was her thing despite the success of the show. 

Unlike a lot of other footballers her age, Lenna didn't join an academy until she was in her teens. Lenna joined Tottenham's academy at age 16. Within the time of being in the academy Lenna scored an incredible 38 goals in 39 games which highlights her pure talent when it comes to scoring goals.

In the 2023-2024 season Gunning-Williams  went on loan to National League South Side at Ipswich Town. Within this time she had 26 appearances, 21 of which being in the league, the rest of which being cup competitions. On the 27th of November 2023 she scored her first senior hat-trick with the side in an FA Cup game against Sutton Coldfield town. She finished the season as the club's second highest scorer with 14 goals.

Lenna Gunning-Williams has also come out recently and been very open about her diagnosis of Tourette’s syndrome.Tourette’s is a nervous system disorder categorized by involuntary sounds and movements also known as tics which can include motor tics (movements) and vocal tics (sounds). She has expressed how she’s found that her tics often disappear when playing football but she still needs to make referees and other people aware just in case. She also said how helpful her team and staff have given her a supportive environment and offered accommodations for it.

In October 2024 Lenna Gunning-Williams was named in the England under 23s team for European league matches against other under 23 sides Portugal and the Netherlands. In the 87th minute in a game against Portugal Lenna made her under 23s debut and she hasn’t looked back since. On the 6th March 2025 she scored her first goal for the under 23s in a one one draw to the Netherlands.

Recently Lenna Gunning-Williams has lifted the women's under 23s European competition trophy. After a tough start to the competition with a 5-0 loss to England against Germany in their first match the whole team turned it around brilliantly. Many of the rounds were difficult for the young lionesses where four games in a row they got 1-0 wins to get through to the next rounds. Including in the semi final against Netherlands under 23s where Lenna assisted the winning goal from Isobel Goodwin under a minute after kick off for the second half.

The young lionesses went on to win the final against Sweden in a 3-0 victory with goals from Isobel Goodwin, Hannah Silcock and Olivia McLoughlin (goal assisted by lenna).the girls all seemed to be ecstatic being the first ever England side to win this competition. Being a big part of the squad's victory and becoming a very important player for Tottenham, the real question is what is next for Lenna Gunning-Williams?

With a bright looking future ahead of her will you see her called up for the senior lionesses by Sarina Wiegman?

Article written by Megan Cavill