Mead, Kerr, Putellas: Who’s on the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year shortlist?

GiveMeSport

·4 October 2022

Mead, Kerr, Putellas: Who’s on the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year shortlist?

The BBC has revealed its shortlist for the Women’s Footballer of the Year award.

Five players have been nominated in total, with each contender chosen by a panel of experts, ranging from coaches, players, administrators and journalists.

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The award first started in 2015, with previous winners including Arsenal star Kim Little, Lionesses hero Lucy Bronze and Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg.

Here’s a rundown of the five nominees and what each has achieved across the past year:

Sam Kerr - Chelsea and Australia

Kerr was in scintillating form for Chelsea last year – scoring 20 goals in 20 matches, to claim the WSL Golden Boot for the second successive season.

The Aussie regularly popped up with some vital goals for the Blues, including a late winner against Aston Villa and two second-half strikes against Man United to help clinch Chelsea the league title.

At international level, Kerr scored 10 goals in just six matches for the Matildas –– five of which came in one game against Indonesia.

Kerr is the all-time leading scorer for Australia, with 59 goals in 110 caps.

Beth Mead - Arsenal and England

Mead enjoyed a stellar domestic campaign with the Gunners last season and became an undroppable member of Jonas Eidevall’s side –– despite the plethora of attacking options at his disposal.

The winger finished with 11 goals and eight assists in the WSL and carried her exceptional form into Euro 2022.

It proved to be a truly unforgettable tournament for the 27-year-old, who scored six goals, including a stellar hat-trick against Norway.

In the end, Mead edged out Germany’s Alexandra Popp to win the Golden Boot and was also named the player of the tournament.

Alexia Putellas - Barcelona and Spain

Putellas has already been named UEFA’s Women’s Player of the Year for the second season in a row and remains the holder of the Ballon d’Or Féminin.

The midfielder scored 34 goals in all competitions for Barcelona last season and became the first Spanish player to ever win 100 caps.

Unfortunately, Putellas tore her anterior cruciate ligament in the build-up to the tournament and is currently in the middle of a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Lena Oberdorf - Wolfsburg and Germany

It’s hard to believe Oberdorf is still only 20 years old.

The German youngster was a commanding presence at Euro 2022 and was deservedly named the Young Player of the Tournament.

A statement on the UEFA website said that the young midfielder “flourished in the middle of the park for the tournament runners-up, combining physical robustness, a fine reading of the game and maturity beyond her years.”

Oberdorf has more than 30 international caps to her name already and will no doubt win plenty more.

Wendie Renard - Lyon and France

Renard is one of the most successful captains in the history of women’s football, having won a record 14 French league titles and eight Champions Leagues.

In 2022, Renard guided Lyon to another European trophy as Lyon defeated defending champions Barcelona in the final.

Despite being a centre-back, Renard has scored more than 100 goals for Lyon since making her debut in 2006.

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