Not Sam Kerr: Five alternative Women’s Super League Players of the Year

Iron your suit and practise your gracious loser face; awards season is upon us.

In the WSL, it’s somewhat of a formality this year. Chelsea striker Sam Kerr has already collected the Football Writers’ Association’s Player of the Year Award, and will likely sweep all other individual accolades following a mightily impressive campaign. The Australian international has provided an avalanche of important goals to fire Chelsea to a third successive league title, and stole the headlines with a pair of stunning volleys on the final day of the season to ensure the WSL trophy remained in west London.

With Kerr as good as nailed on to win every award she is eligible for, let’s take a look at the candidates who could have been in with a shout in a universe where the Australian striker wasn’t so damn good at football.

Millie Bright (Chelsea)

The second was the final two weeks of the season, as the Blues dug in to grind out wins against Tottenham and Birmingham, before beating Manchester United in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season.

Kerr was vital in the second key period of the season – but it was Millie Bright who was influential in the first. In the absence of captain Magdalena Eriksson, Bright marshalled the Chelsea back four to successive clean sheets against two of the WSL’s most potent attacking forces, throwing herself in front of anything and everything. This was a theme throughout the season, with Bright featuring in all 22 of the Blues’ WSL outings. An absolute brick wall, if brick walls were also highly effective at triggering attacks with pinpoint cross-field diagonals.

“I know for sure she is a player I would put my life on,” Emma Hayes said of Bright in February. “Not just in terms of her commitment, but