‘She’s going places’ - Coaches laud Khadija Shaw after Guardian top 50 ranking
Published:Friday | December 11, 2020 | 12:14 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
Former national senior women’s football team head coach Charlie Edwards says that Khadija Shaw’s potential has yet to be unleashed despite her strong start in her second season in France.
His comments come after British newspaper The Guardian ranked Shaw 49th on their top 100 women footballers of the year this week. This marks a 31-place jump from her ranking of 80 last year for the national striker. The list was compiled by coaches, including Reggae Girlz head coach Hubert Busby Jr, players, and journalists.
“I personally don’t think Khadija knows her true ability,” Edwards told The Gleaner. “Her ability is even more than what you are seeing right now, and from you were watching her in college you would have seen talent written all over her. I think her ambition and her drive [is good], she plays with that enthusiasm, always wanting to be better and better, and it has proven to be correct.”
Shaw joined French club Bordeaux in 2019 before the FIFA Women’s World Cup and scored 10 goals in her debut season. The 2019-20 campaign ended prematurely because of the coronavirus pandemic but she has already scored 13 goals in her sophomore year, surpassing her previous goalscoring total as the season reaches its midway point.
Women’s football coach Xavier Gilbert says that her progression this season is not surprising and her vault up the rankings in just 12 months is testament to her drive to succeed.
“For me, just hearing the news and how she has moved up in the short space of time, it tells you how serious the level of commitment and hard work she has put in,” Gilbert said.
BIGGER CLUB MOVE
As she approaches the end of her two-year deal with Bordeaux, both Edwards and Gilbert say that she may be on the verge of landing a move to a bigger club in the world. The Guardian says that Shaw will be among the most coveted strikers next summer and is excited about her potential and path for success.
“When her contract expires at Bordeaux, teams will surely be queuing up for a look at a striker who has pace, technical ability, and a natural eye for goal when her movement gets her in the right positions,” the publication said. “One of the best young strikers in the game, Shaw can go wherever she wants in the future and has the ability to achieve whatever she wants to.”
Bordeaux are third in the Division 1 Féminine with 20 points, and are on a four-match winning streak. They will look to extend that run when they host fourth-place Montpelier tomorrow.