England’s Rachel Daly is one of six World Cup stars who have been shortlisted for the Professional Footballers’ Association Players’ Player of the Year award.
Forward Daly hit 22 goals in the Women’s Super League for Aston Villa last season – a remarkable achievement for a player who featured at left-back in the Lionesses’ successful Euros campaign last summer.
Her form last season has made her a first choice up front at the World Cup for England manager Sarina Wiegman.
The 31-year-old from Harrogate is joined by five other illustrious WSL names on the nominees list, including Australia striker Sam Kerr, Norwegian duo Frida Maanum and Guro Reiten, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Spain’s Ona Batlle.
Kerr and Reiten were key components of a Chelsea team which secured a sixth WSL title last season, with Kerr scoring the winner as the Blues claimed the domestic double with victory over Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
Reiten’s international team-mate Maanum was a major asset to Arsenal last term.
Her versatility in midfield has made her a vital part of Jonas Eidevall’s Gunners team since her arrival from Linkoping in July 2021.
Full-back Batlle was part of a Manchester United squad which pushed Chelsea close in the league all season and helped the team qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history.
She returned to Barcelona earlier this summer when her United contract expired.
Shaw was a shining light in what was a disappointing season on the whole for Manchester City, scoring 31 goals in 30 games in all competitions.
Her performances earned her a contract extension through to 2026 earlier this summer.
