Layla Banaras

Layla Banaras (born 11 February 2006) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for FA Women's National League South club Lewes. Born in England, she plays for the Pakistan national team. She stands out as one of the few British South Asian women to reach the senior ranks of English football.

Club career Banaras made history in January 2023 as the first South Asian heritage woman to appear for Birmingham City in the professional era, debuting in a Women's FA Cup match against Huddersfield Town.

In February 2024, she joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on dual registration from Birmingham City.

In August 2025, she joined Lewes for the 2025/26 season.

International career Being of Pakistani descent, Banaras was invited to join Pakistan’s national team setup. She was named in the 21‑player squad for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification round held in Jakarta as a defender.

In Pakistan's second qualifier, where the team beat Indonesia 2–0, Banaras made her first tournament appearance and provided an assist for Nadia Khan’s goal. In her second appearance for Pakistan, during the team's third qualifier against Kyrgyzstan, Banaras provided an assist for Mariam Mehmood, who scored both goals in a 2–1 victory.

Career statistics Club Season Club Apps Goals 2023–25 Birmingham City – - 2024–25 Wolves - - 2025–26 Lewes 17 1

International Season Club Apps Goals 2025–26 Pakistan 6 2

International goals No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 9 April 2026 Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast 3–0 8–0 2026 FIFA Series 2. 7–0

Personal life Layla Banaras is of Pakistani descent and a practicing Muslim. She was born in Birmingham to a Pakistani father and an English mother.

As a teenager, Banaras became aware of the lack of tailored guidance for Muslim athletes fasting during Ramadan. At just 15, she worked with Birmingham City’s nutritionist to develop a Ramadan-specific meal planner and hydration strategy designed to help players maintain performance during training and matches while fasting.

In 2025, she expanded this initiative into the "Ramadan Nutritional Guide and Planner", a comprehensive resource created in collaboration with industry experts to optimize nutrition, hydration, and recovery for Muslim athletes observing the fast.