Man City's Shaw on inspiring Jamaica's footballers

Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw wants to "stay existent to who she is" and animate young achromatic girls to play football.

The 27-year-old is simply a relation exemplary successful her location country, Jamaica, aft impressing connected the planetary signifier and taking the Women's Super League by tempest pursuing her determination to City successful 2021.

She was past season's apical scorer successful the WSL arsenic Gareth Taylor's broadside finished runners-up to champions Chelsea connected extremity difference.

Her performances successful the 2023-24 play besides led to her being named the PFA Women's Players' Player of the twelvemonth and the FWA Women's Footballer of the Year.

"When I look backmost astatine my childhood, I didn’t truly person a batch of radical I could look to - isolated from Usain Bolt of course," Shaw, who debuted for Jamaica successful 2015, told BBC Sport.

"I didn’t person a batch of radical who I could look to and accidental ‘I privation to beryllium similar that.’ One of the main reasons was that I wasn’t truly allowed to play.

"Now, looking astatine wherever the crippled is and wherever it is going, I deliberation determination is much country for that.

"For me, it’s conscionable being live and being successful the moment. It’s staying existent to who I am. Hopefully by doing that each and each day, it works retired successful the end."

Black History Month, celebrated from 1-31 October, continues to radiance a spotlight connected athletes who person breached barriers to execute success.

Shaw, who is nominated for this year's Ballon d'Or award, says she feels the work of being a relation exemplary but hopes much volition travel successful her footsteps, peculiarly successful Jamaica.

"I conscionable effort to beryllium the champion I tin beryllium and anticipation that by doing that, determination are others looking connected [who can] spot that if I tin bash it, past it’s possible," she added.

"Hopefully I tin animate a batch of the young girls backmost location successful Jamaica that it is decidedly possible.

"It’s been a agelong travel for me. I had to question astir the satellite to get here. Now I americium here, I’m conscionable embracing the infinitesimal and loving each portion of it.

"The ups and downs are parts of beingness and that’s however you turn arsenic a person. But I conscionable effort to beryllium the champion that I tin and hopefully animate much girls."