Leicester boss reveals WSL keeper who is better than England's Mary Earps

But Leicester boss Willie Kirk insists there is someone in the Women's Super League better than her.

After their difficult 2022/23 season, Leicester permanently signed 24-year-old Janina Leitzig to boost their WSL campaign this year.

The German international has already helped the team to two wins and a hard-fought draw against Manchester United this season.

They sit second in the WSL table behind Manchester City only on goal difference.

And when asked what it was like having one of the best goalkeepers in the WSL on his team, Kirk went so far as to say she was second to none.

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He told talkSPORT: "I'm quite happy to go on record saying we've got the best (in the WSL).

"She guarantees you a certain place in the league.

"I said at the time, signing Janina guarantees you do not get relegated - she's that big."

Leicester saved themselves from relegation on the final day last season as they picked up a 1-0 win over Brighton, sending Reading down to the Women's Championship instead.

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They lost their first nine games under manager Lydia Bedford the previous campaign, before former Hibernian manager Kirk was brought in to salvage their season - and salvage it he did.

They ended the WSL season third bottom of the league - a fantastic result given their dire start to their campaign and their highest ever finish.

And part of Leicester's remarkable transformation was down to their signing of Leitzig on-loan in January 2023.

She earned them five clean sheets by the end of the season - a more impressive feat given that they had picked up no clean sheets before her arrival - and all five of Leicester's season-saving wins featured Leitzig in goal.

And Kirk added that it was not just the permanent signing of Leitzig this season that had added to Leicester's goalkeeping depth.

Leicester also signed Dutch international Lize Kop ahead of the 2023 season, and Kirk said that the competition she created to start ahead of Leitzig only made the Germany keeper better.

"(Janina's) now a lot more confident in possession because she has to be, because she's got a goalkeeper breathing down her neck for minutes who is excellent in possession," he added.

But while Kop has represented her country, the Netherlands, on seven occasions, Kirk's number one choice Leitzig has never been called up for Germany senior international duty - a fact which shocked the Leicester manager.

He said: "What baffles me is she's fifth or sixth choice for Germany.

"We will try and help her climb that and get into the Germany squad by the end of the season."

Kirk is certainly not limiting his ambitions for his club and for his players this season.

He told talkSPORT: "We've got the potential to be a top-half team this year.

"We're certainly not going to lay claims to being a top half team yet, despite us sitting in a good place in the table after only a few games.

"We're not going to get too carried away with ourselves, but we've definitely got the potential."

And despite stunning everyone with victories over Bristol and Everton in the WSL and a win over Liverpool in the Continental Tyres League Cup, Kirk believes the best is yet to come.

"I still think you'll see a better Leicester in the second half of the season," he said.

The Foxes are preparing to face a dangerous-looking Manchester City side in the WSL - and they will face that same side just a few weeks later in the League Cup.

Manchester City sit top of the WSL despite a dramatic WSL season that has seen them pick up three red cards already.

Two of those were given in their match against Chelsea which saw their captain Alex Greenwood controversially sent off for time-wasting on her 100th club appearance.

Lioness Lauren Hemp and Spanish international Leila Ouahabi have also been shown reds - although Gareth Taylor's side have nevertheless managed to pick up two wins and a draw so far.

But Kirk remained confident that Leicester were capable of building on their good start to the season.

He said: "We have got everything to be a top half club and its my responsibility to make sure we've got a top half team - and we've showed some early signs of promise to get in there."

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Leicester host Manchester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday October 21 - kick off is at 5:15pm.

Tune into the Women's Football Show on Monday from 7pm-8pm on talkSPORT 2 to hear more from Willie Kirk's exclusive interview and to catch up on all the action from a packed WSL weekend.