In March 2018, Manchester United announced they wanted to start a new women's football team. Manchester United Women Football Club started again on 28 May 2018. This was after the team asked to join the new 2018–19 FA Women's Championship. This was thirteen years after the club stopped playing in 2005. The club's academy had continued through the Manchester United Foundation. For example, Izzy Christiansen and Katie Zelem went through United's Centre of Excellence academy. Casey Stoney was the club's first head coach. She became coach on 8 June. They announced the first 21-player team about a month later.