Defeat Manchester United in the early kick-off at the Amex on Saturday, and Brighton will, at least temporarily, ascend to the top of the WSL. This would be a monumental statement and, for Nikita Parris, further validation of her decision to switch from United to the ambitious Seagulls in the summer. The 30-year-old has fully embraced new manager Dario Vidosic’s philosophies, which were a significant factor in her decision to join on deadline day, one of 12 summer signings.

“Brighton have been building for many years, investing heavily in the women’s side,” Parris explains. “The next logical step was to bring in a manager who would implement a playing style that would attract players to the club. In Dario, with his playing style, the risk, the bravery, the ball possession, and everything about his approach to football, they’ve found that. He’s the reason I joined Brighton.”

Vidosic arrived from Melbourne City’s women’s team, somewhat of an unknown quantity, and Parris had to trust her instincts. “When I spoke with him, I thought: ‘Wow, this is how I see football,’” the forward recalls. “That’s crucial.” Brighton is thriving with three wins in four games, their only loss a narrow 1-0 defeat to title-contending Manchester City. For a team that has undergone such a significant transformation, this is highly impressive.

For Parris, clarity is key. “There aren’t many coaches in football, just a lot of managers. I think that’s the distinction. I haven’t had a coach like Dario since Nick Cushing at Manchester City. There aren’t many coaches who analyze the game the way he does. His vision of football is very specific, very entertaining. Everyone wants to play possession football, but you need the right setup to do so.”

How does he achieve this? “He doesn’t just say: ‘I want you to play a 4-3-3, go out there and play.’ He’s very precise about when and where he wants players to join in and where he wants you to be at certain moments. This eliminates any ambiguity, any room for error. At the same time, your teammates know exactly where you’ll be on the pitch. This helps you click because, ultimately, it’s 12 new faces, different playing styles, different personalities, but on the training field, we all want to learn. It’s like being at school, asking questions, and that’s what I love about football. The moment you stop learning is when you should stop playing.”

Crucially, Parris is also getting playing time and feeling valued. Since leaving City for Lyon in 2019, she has struggled to secure a regular starting spot. She moved from Lyon to Arsenal and then spent two seasons at United. “It’s super-important to be playing,” she says. “Not just sitting on the bench because you’re at a club that people perceive to be a top club or a top-four club and, ultimately, wasting your talents.” Parris has started Brighton’s past three games, including a League Cup tie, having come off the bench in the opening two games in the 72nd minute and 59th minute.

“As a forward, to come on and get 15 minutes here, 20 minutes there, but never really establish yourself and be able to get 70 to 90 minutes each and every week, it can be difficult. Not to say that you deserve to play every 90 minutes as a forward – that’s not the case. If you don’t perform, you ultimately don’t deserve to be in the team, but when you do perform and you’re still not getting the minutes, then that’s when you have to look at things and reconsider your position.”

Parris is determined. Despite not having played for Sarina Wiegman since November 2022, she hasn’t given up on reclaiming her place in the England squad. “I will always want to be part of the Lioness squad, whether it’s in major tournaments, warmup games, or qualifiers,” she says. “My focus is always on club, because in order to have a chance to be in the team, I have to perform well consistently at club. But I’ll never stop working towards that or start writing myself off. I want to give Sarina a headache. I want to make those decisions as tough as possible for her.”

Saturday’s game presents Parris with a significant opportunity to demonstrate why she made the move and how much she still has to offer at the highest level. There will be emotion involved too. “It’s a little more personal because it’s my former club, but for me, it’s the clarity of knowing exactly what I need to do as an individual and collectively to secure the three points that focuses me. It’s going to be a massive game for us.

“As a team, it’s about taking it one week, one game at a time. But we also know that nothing’s set in stone at the top, they’re not untouchable. We know that if we play our best game and our style, as we’ve seen against City, the margins are fine. That’s the difference in the WSL now. Teams have brought in managers with really concrete playing styles and defensive and attacking formations that make it difficult for teams to come and get points from you. That’s the exciting part of the WSL. No game is a given.”

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