Guardian ranks ‘Bunny’ Shaw 62nd

National striker Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw was ranked 62nd among the best 100 women footballers in the world, according to the United Kingdom newspaper The Guardian, despite her strong start to her second season at Manchester City.

The Guardian released their annual list of the top women's footballers, compiled by a panelt which comprised 119 judges, the largest pool in the five-year history of the rankings, and includes former players, coaches and journalists.

Shaw, who was ranked 55th last year, slipped seven places this year, a drop which, according to the paper, was due to her getting adjusted to the rigours of English football, having joined City from French club Bordeaux last year.

Shaw scored 16 goals in all competitions last season, which included nine league goals for City that helped them to finish in third place in the league table.

In her second season, she has scored eight league goals after 10 games, on the cusp of a double-digit season for City with her as the main striker. In their assessment, The Guardian believes that she will vault up the rankings next year, should she continue scoring.

"Shaw drops slightly, but should her form at the end of 2022 continue, she will rise well up the rankings in 2023. It took the Jamaican star a little time to build into life in England as Manchester City started with Ellen White last season, but since the England forward's retirement, Shaw has shown the goal-scoring prowess everyone knew was there," The Guardian commented. "Her ability to link up and create has led to Shaw topping the Women's Super League scoring charts this season with eight goals for Gareth Taylor's side."

Shaw's highest ranking was 49 in 2020 while she was at Bordeaux in the middle of her final season in France. It would be a season where she would become the first player in 10 years not from Paris Saint-Germain or Olympique Lyon to win the Division One female Golden Boot.

Her lowest ranking was in 2019 when she was placed 80th, the year that she debuted on the list. Shaw was vital in the Reggae Girlz qualifying for back-to-back Women's World Cup, scoring nine goals in the qualifying round and three in the Conacaf Women's Championship last July in Mexico.