Man City’s Khadija Shaw leads WSL player of the season shortlist

Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw has been named on an eight-strong shortlist for player of the season at the 2025-26 Women’s Super League Football Awards.

Shaw, 29, is set to win a third consecutive WSL Golden Boot after scoring 19 times in 21 appearances, with her goals helping City lift their first league title since 2016.

She won the Football Writers’ Association Women’s Footballer of the Year award earlier in May.

Shaw is joined on the list by team-mate Kerstin Casparij, who has 10 goal involvements from defence, as well as Aston Villa’s Kirsty Hanson – the second-highest scorer in the league with one match to play, with 12 goals – and Arsenal forward Alessia Russo.

Also shortlisted are Manchester United midfielder Jess Park, Chelsea striker Alyssa Thompson, Tottenham winger Olivia Holdt and Everton defender Ruby Mace.

Arsenal’s Olivia Smith, who joined the club from Liverpool for a record fee of £1m last summer, leads the nominees for WSL rising star. The Canada international has scored five goals and registered three assists in 19 appearances.

Everton’s Ornella Vignola, who scored a hat-trick in the Merseyside derby on her WSL debut, also makes the shortlist, as does Chelsea’s 20-year-old defender Veerle Buurman.

Man United’s Anna Sandberg, Brighton teenager Emilie Gay, West Ham forward Leila Wandeler, and Aston Villa midfielder Lucia Kendall complete the nominees.

Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Man United), and Ayaka Yamashita (Man City) are tied on seven clean sheets in the race for the WSL Golden Glove with one game to play.

The winners across 17 different categories will be confirmed on Monday 18 May, with the ceremony also seeing Casey Stoney, Kerys Harrop and Matt Beard inducted into the WSL Hall of Fame.