Lioness Ella Toone wants female footballers to get 'recognition they deserve' with new launch

English midfielderElla Toone has launched a creative agency to help her fellow female footballers grow their personal brands. Instead of waiting on the side-lines for sponsorships, female players will be turned into “household names” and “take back control” of the talent-brand relationship under the agency’s guidance.

The Manchester United player co-founded her new venture Amicizia Studios with her long-term agent James Marshall. In an inaugural Instagram post in June 2025, the duo shared that there is “no nonsense, no messing about” when it comes to the studio’s mission to “blend sports culture and creativity to bring brands and talent together”.

The post continued: “Working with great people across great brands, podcasts and other digital outlets, we’re taking back control of the traditional talent/brand relationship and putting our stamp on it.”

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Amicizia says that while it doesn’t take itself too seriously it takes a “head down and game on” approach when it comes to campaigns. “We’re here to give women’s footballers a proper platform, not just the odd collab, but solid relationships built with major brands to create opportunities that turn players into household names.”

The studio will serve as a platform to connect female footballers with brand partnerships, marketing campaigns and production opportunities. It will also offer services including content development, creative consultancy and PR to connect women’s athletes with brands.

Toone and Marshall hope to boost female players to maximise their earning potential. In their vision statement reported by Forbes, Amicizia says it wants to help players show off their personalities as well as get “the recognition and the proper fees they deserve”.

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Amicizia Studios will also serve as a creative hub for Toone to produce her own content. She is a particularly savvy creator and has taken her own brand seriously for years now.

In 2023, she became the first Lionessto trademark her own name and launched the ET7 brand. Under ET7, Toone also launched the ET7 Academy to create a supportive space for girls aged 8-19 to play football under the guise of FA-accredited coaches.

With over 50% of Women’s Super League players currently without sponsorship, Amicizia addresses a gap in the relationship between brands and female footballers.

“There’s a really big gap in the market. Women’s football is growing and growing, and more brands can be involved in that,” Toone told Marketing Week.

Toone is in Switzerland with the Lionesses at the moment for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025. They suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss in their opening match against France but Georgia Stanway said England were 'done talking' about it and were ready to get 'stuck in' against the Dutch on Wednesday, July 9.

Toone is confident England can use that experience to rebound on Wednesday. “I mean mentally I think we're strong anyway,” she said.

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