4 weeks ago
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England planetary Lauren Hemp says she "always dreamed" of being nominated for the Women's Ballon d'Or award.
The 24-year-old is 1 of 3 Lionesses up for the award, which is wide recognised arsenic the astir prestigious idiosyncratic accolade successful football.
Chelsea brace Lauren James and Lucy Bronze implicit the English practice connected the pistillate list, portion Hemp's Manchester City team-mates Khadija Shaw and Yui Hasegawa are besides nominated.
"It's precise special, I conscionable consciousness truthful grateful to beryllium recognised by radical not lone successful this league, but crossed the world," Hemp told BBC Sport.
"It takes a batch for maine to look backmost and spot however acold I've come. I've ever dreamed of being connected lists similar this and to beryllium nominated, truthful it's a measurement successful the close direction."
The ceremonial takes spot connected Monday astatine the Theatre du Chatelet successful Paris astatine 19:45 GMT.
Lyon striker Ada Hegerberg won the inaugural Ballon d'Or successful 2018 and since past Barcelona skipper Alexia Putellas has won the grant twice. Retired American guardant Megan Rapinoe was honoured successful 2019 and Spain planetary Aitana Bonmati was crowned past year. There was nary grant successful 2020 due to the fact that of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"If you had told maine 10 years ago, that I would beryllium successful this position, I would astir apt person laughed astatine you," City and Jamaica striker Shaw told BBC Sport.
"It goes to amusement that the crippled is evolving and we're growing. It's an idiosyncratic grant but the players I person astir maine marque maine look good.
"It's a peculiar infinitesimal for america [at City]. All our efforts and hard enactment is being recognised."
Shaw finished apical scorer successful the Women's Super League past play but Manchester City missed retired connected the rubric connected extremity difference.
She was besides named the PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Women's Footballer of the Year.
"She's specified a fox successful the box," said Hemp. "In the seasons I've played with her, she's travel retired connected apical and ever finishes apical goalscorer. She is large to person successful the team."
Shaw said immoderate of her team-mates could person been nominated aft a beardown twelvemonth for City, contempt not delivering immoderate silverware.
"A batch of players successful our squad could beryllium connected that list," added the 27-year-old. "The wide effort we enactment successful each time to not conscionable people goals but improve.
"I americium hard connected Hemp. If she gives maine a atrocious cross, I americium going to beryllium connected her. If I don't score, she volition bash the same.
"She is simply a grafter and she buzzes astir the pitch. She is an unbelievable player. I conscionable cognize erstwhile she is retired there, I person to beryllium ready.
"I emotion playing with her. I bask it each and each day. The entity is the bounds for Hempo."
Hemp said it usually takes her a "long time" to process her achievements but she has already realised the value of being nominated for the Ballon d'Or.
"We're surrounded by astonishing players week-in, week-out," she added. "It pushes america connected to beryllium truthful overmuch better.
"I instrumentality a batch of pridefulness successful being a grafter, similar Shaw says, and giving my each all azygous clip I enactment connected that shirt.
"If everyone is playing well, it makes maine consciousness similar I've playing good too. It's a truly arrogant moment."
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