Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw: How the striker's ruthless scoring streak is helping Manchester City's Women's Super League chances

“I could be the one to change football in Jamaica,” Khadija Shaw remembers considering as a decided teenager.

Bravely, she didn’t wish to be outlined by the constraints of Spanish Town, the Jamaican metropolis she grew up in, somewhat preferring to problem the narrative usually afforded to younger ladies of the area.

But there is nothing typical about Khadija, nicknamed ‘Bunny’ for her love of carrots. “It was almost like a waste of time,” she mentioned in an interview to the BBC after sealing a transfer to Manchester City in 2021. She was referring to her dad and mom’ perspective in direction of soccer as a possible occupation – not solely was it unrealistic, it was seen as harmful.

“My parents didn’t allow me to play because of the lack of opportunities,” she recalled.

Yet Bunny, undeterred by varied naysayers, was set on rewriting the script. She refused to be boxed right into a stereotype. She needed to show that her need to succeed might outweigh any exterior eager for her to evolve to the common mould of a younger Jamaican feminine.

“One day I was like ‘let’s strike a deal – I pass my exams and you allow me to play,'” she mentioned boldly to her hesitant household. Fast ahead to 2022 and the ahead is taking the scene by storm – each domestically and internationally.

It’s not a well-trodden pathway, but it surely’s one which Shaw has cast with a mixture of resolve, willpower and uncooked expertise. There is a heartwarming sense of gratification about her journey.

Every time Shaw will get to symbolize the sky blue of Man City – one in all the “best clubs in the world,” she believes – she performs with some extent to show. No alternative is wasted, definitely not this season.

Shaw has stepped into the position vacated by outgoing striker Ellen White with loads of promise. Thriving as the star markswoman, the striker has been concerned in additional targets than another participant in the Women’s Super League this time period. She’s scored in all however one in all her six appearances.

Many questioned how City would cope when dropping their all-time main scorer over the summer time, with White opting to name time on her taking part in profession, however fears have been shortly assuaged. Shaw is the reply.

Power, tempo, and precision – she has all of it. Stepping into the No.9 position at maybe the good time, Shaw appears each bit the half, helped in no small measure by two of the league’s deadliest wingers.

Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly mix with Shaw to create a fearsome entrance three. With a median age of simply 23-and-a-half, this trio have the potential to wreak havoc on opposition defences for a few years to come back.

Hemp has created extra chances from open play than another participant in the WSL this season (16), whereas Kelly is equally adept at floating pinpoint crosses in direction of her central striker, which most of the time, find yourself in the again of the internet. Indeed, no facet has scored extra headed targets than Man City this season (5). Four of these have been netted by Shaw.

Her spectacular two-goal haul in opposition to Tottenham in late October prompted supervisor Gareth Taylor to subject a warning about his striker’s prolificacy – “there’s more to come,” he mentioned. Not what Everton will wish to hear forward of this weekend’s WSL encounter, dwell on Sky Sports.

“She had a good season last year, but people overlook that… She has taken on the responsibility of wearing the number nine for this club,” Taylor added.

It was the sense of neighborhood that originally drew Shaw to the sport in her youth, but now she’s completely happy to tread a pathway which can nicely find yourself placing her in a league of her personal. Her background is distinctive and so is her taking part in fashion, pushed by boundless willpower that interprets on the pitch as a hatful of targets.

Curbing Bunny’s enthusiasm is one thing Everton are going to must confront head on if they need any probability of triumphing over a facet whom they’ve by no means crushed in league competitors earlier than.

Man City have received all 12 of their conferences in opposition to the Toffees, the greatest 100 per cent report one crew has in opposition to one other in WSL historical past.

“I will always keep encouraging and inspiring because it is not impossible,” Shaw instructed mancity.com not too long ago. Indeed, the outlook for the 25-year-old is fairly the reverse – the whole lot is attainable. She is a trailblazer in her area and one which is going to take some stopping.

Not many gamers can declare to have performed for his or her nation at the tender age of 13 – by the following yr, she had represented Jamaica’s Under-17s and Under-20s. Now, she is Jamaica’s all-time main goalscorer, male or feminine, with 56 targets in 38 appearances.

There are a couple of names that spring to thoughts when evaluating the WSL’s greatest present strike power. Chelsea has Sam Kerr. Arsenal has Vivianne Miedema. Yet, this yr, the inevitability of Shaw’s presence in the field is sure to stir issues up as the marketing campaign zig-zags in unpredictable instructions. You sense her time is now.

Will or not it’s sufficient to energy Man City to formal honours throughout 2022/23, regardless of a shaky begin? Well, triumphing in the face of adversity is precisely what Shaw does greatest. This season is merely the newest chapter in her epic story of defiance.

Watch Everton vs Manchester City dwell on Sky Sports Main Event on Saturday from 2.30pm; kick-off 3pm.

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