Capitalise on Shaw’s success, Edwards tells JFF

Former national women's coach Charlie Edwards says that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) must capitalise on national striker Khadija Shaw's success to ensure the women's game continue to develop in Jamaica.

His comments came after the 23-year-old Shaw was ranked 49 amongst the top 100 women's footballers in the world, according to British publication The Guardian last week. She is in the middle of her second season in French Division One Feminine with Bordeaux and is currently the league's top goalscorer at the club.

Edwards says using Shaw's exploits to market the game in the island will guarantee the emergence of other promising local talents.

"She (Shaw) is a talented player and she has the perfect opportunity to launch herself out. I hope that the JFF will pay attention to this and put a bit more emphasis on local women's football here she's a local grown talent and we do have a lot more local-grown talents," Edwards told STAR Sports.

Shaw scored in her fifth straight league game on Saturday as Bordeaux stormed to a 2-0 victory over Montpellier in their final game of 2020. The tally was also her 14th of the season having already surpassed the 10 goals she scored in her season debut in 2019/20, before the league abruptly ended because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

She is currently in the final months of her two-year deal which she signed in 2019 before the Women's World Cup and can reportedly talk to interested parties in January.

Top clubs in the world

Edwards says that it will be hard for her to turn down a move to one of the top clubs in the world, although Bordeaux will try to hold on to her.

"I think if the top clubs come calling, she will because that is your inspiration," he said. "You want to be in the top flight all the time and that makes you more marketable."

Entering Saturday's game with a one-point lead against Montpellier, the win gives Bordeaux breathing room in their fight for a place in next season's Women's Champions League. They will enter the new year in third place with 23 points. The top three teams in the league will be guaranteed a place in the Champions League, a change from previous seasons where only the top two teams advanced.

Bordeaux's first game of 2021 will be against current league leaders Paris Saint Germain on January 16.