Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw: The Jamaican star shining for Manchester City and eyeing success at the FIFA 2023 Women's World Cup

Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw is quickly becoming one of the most exciting players to watch in women's football.

This season, Shaw has been a standout player for Manchester City, helping the team keep hot on the heels of title challenges Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Having scored an impressive 18 goals in 20 games in the league so far, she currently stands as the second-highest scorer in the Women’s Super League behind Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly.

At just 26 years old, she is making a lasting impression both at the club and national level. She was recently awarded the CONCACAF W Player of the Year and has already secured two WSL Player of the Month awards this season.

With the ability to play on the wing or as a forward, Shaw has already proved her versatility for club and country, and as the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup draws nearer she will be aiming to inspire her team to success.

Bunny Shaw: Her career so far

Growing up in Jamaica, Shaw had to overcome numerous obstacles to pursue her dream of playing football.

The Manchester City forward often faced discrimination as football was not traditionally seen as a sport for girls in her country, which left her having to play in boys' teams to get the chance to play at a high level.

Despite the challenges, her talent and determination earned her a scholarship to attend college in the United States, where she played for the University of Tennessee and managed 27 goals in 35 games. Her goal scoring abilities caught the attention of European teams, and she eventually signed for Bordeaux in 2019, where she scored 32 goals in 25 games during her two years with the Division 1 Féminine.

In 2021 Manchester City announced the signing of Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, and in her first season with the club, she won the League Cup and finished as the competition’s joint top goalscorer.

Earlier this season, the 26 year old overtook Nikita Parris to become Manchester City’s highest-scoring women’s player in a single season.

Arsenal’s Vivianne Miedema currently holds the record for most WSL goals scored in a single season having managed 22 league goals in the 2017-18 season and Shaw is not far behind. Her running total is 18 goals, with two games of the domestic league left to play.

Bunny Shaw: Off the field

Shaw’s success for both club and country has made her an important role model for young girls in her home country of Jamaica. 

“I remember one day I got so mad and I said: 'Mum, you never know: I could be the one to change football in Jamaica,’ she revealed in an interview with Man City. 

“Just give me the chance, give me the opportunity.”

The forward has been extremely vocal about the importance of breaking down barriers for girls in sport, whilst using her platform to inspire others to pursue their dreams. Her journey to becoming a professional footballer despite the odds provides inspiration to not only young girls from the Caribbean, but from around the world.

From scoring a brace in her first-ever international senior appearance at the age of 18, to captaining the Reggae Girlz at a historic second World Cup tournament, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw will undoubtedly be remembered as the one that changed women’s football in Jamaica.

Bunny Shaw and Jamaica: 2023 Women’s World Cup

At the age of just 26, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has already become Jamaica’s all-time leading goalscorer across both men’s and women’s football. 

With a record 56 goals to her name, Shaw will be Jamaica's key to success at this summer’s FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Jamaica - commonly known as Reggae Girlz - made history in 2019 when they qualified for their first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup, and they will be eager to build on that success this summer.

The Reggae Girlz’ impressive performances at last year’s CONCACAF competition put them in good stead heading into this year’s tournament.

For the second consecutive time, Jamaica finished third at CONCACAF after an impressive group stage performance with wins over Haiti and Mexico. 

Jamaica fell at the semi-finals with a 3-0 loss to Olympic Champions, Canada, but went on to beat Costa Rica 1-0 in the third-place match. 

At this summer’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Jamaica are in Group F and will come up against the tough competition of France, Brazil and Panama, meaning that Shaw's experience in top-level competitions and her impressive performances will be invaluable for the team.

Looking ahead to this summer, Shaw's talent and leadership will be crucial for Jamaica as they look to build on their historic qualification in 2019.