Best 30 women footballers in Britain right now
As 2023 draws towards a close, Telegraph Sport will be assessing the top 30 players in Britain across various sports across this week, starting with women’s football.
To make the top 30, players must be playing for a club in Britain right now.
30 – Sjoeke Nüsken (Chelsea and Germany)
A summer signing from Eintracht Frankfurt, many felt the 22-year-old might be one for the future at Chelsea but she has hit the ground running and quickly established herself as a key part of Emma Hayes’ midfield. Her box-to-box style has helped her to score four times in her first seven WSL games.
29 – Kenza Dali (Aston Villa and France)
Sorely missed by Aston Villa when out injured earlier this autumn, the France midfielder is one of the most under-rated players in the WSL and she combined with Rachel Daly highly effectively last term.
28 – Fuka Nagano (Liverpool and Japan)
Building a terrific midfield partnership with Austria’s Marie Höbinger, Nagano is a big reason behind the improved form of Matt Beard’s side in recent months and continually demonstrates her high technical ability.
27 – Chloe Kelly (Manchester City and England)
Possessing a powerful shot, quick feet and bags of potential, Kelly has all the attributes to be a superstar winger – the next phase in her development has to be to add more goals to her game consistently.
26 – Celin Bizet (Tottenham and Norway)
With the highest number of successful forward ball carries of any WSL player in this campaign so far, and with a goal-of-the-season contender already under her belt, the 22–year–old has been a revelation for Tottenham under Robert Vilahamn.
A brilliant solo goal from Celin Bizet 👏
Tottenham take the lead against Liverpool.#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/ZgKNov4WFv— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 12, 2023
25 – Stina Blackstenius (Arsenal and Sweden)
A tireless grafter, who held the fort for Arsenal at the end of last season when they were short of options in attack, Blackstenius does not receive the credit she deserves. She’s a born goalscorer and has immense international experience in one of the most consistently high-performing of national teams.
24 – Ella Toone (Manchester United and England)
Toone seems to come alive at Wembley and she is at her best when making well–timed runs into the penalty area from midfield. The decisiveness of those runs seems to fluctuate with her confidence levels and she went through a tricky spell at the start of the season statistically. But when she is on form, there are few better suited to big games. For England, she has not yet reached the extremely high bar set by Fran Kirby in the No 10 role but she still produced a scorcher in the World Cup semi–final and has the potential to get even better.
23 – Caitlin Foord (Arsenal and Australia)
There are few players in the world better-skilled at cutting inside from the left and firing into the far corner but Foord can also be very unselfish and is intelligent with her use of the ball. What could now be challenging for her is the ridiculous competiton for places following the impact made by Cloé Lacasse and Alessia Russo, plus the return to fitness of multiple Arsenal forwards.
22 – Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City and Japan)
Calm on the ball, cool under pressure and seemingly always two passes ahead of everyone else on the pitch, the Japan midfielder has become integral to Manchester City and there are very few better technically gifted No 6s in the game today. Some eyebrows were raised when City signed her to play in the holding role, as she had previously impressed in attacking midfield with West Ham, but it has turned out to be a great decision.
21 – Frida Maanum (Arsenal and Norway)
Elected the Football Supporters Association’s Women’s Player of the Year by fans in December, Maanum was also in the PFA’s Team of the Year last term, and deservedly so, after thriving for Arsenal in a more attacking role.
20 – Ashley Lawrence (Chelsea and Canada)
Lawrence is quietly becoming one of the signings of the season, showing great positional maturity, awareness and composure at the back, as well as being versatile in various defensive roles. Having arrived on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, and having come with plentiful Women’s Champions League experience, she is proving to be a bargain for Chelsea.
19 – Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea and Scotland)
A real unsung heroine of Chelsea’s title defence and the archetypal team player, Cuthbert was rightly being tipped for selection by Team GB if they had qualified for next summer’s Olympics. As it turned out, that was not to be. But her influence on Chelsea remains hard to overstate.
18 – Catarina Macario (Chelsea and USA)
Yet to make her debut for Chelsea because of injury, Macario could give the forward line a boost after the winter break. She has endured a difficult 18 months on the treatment table but, when fully fit, the WSL will see a real gem of a player with an abundance of flair.
17 – Kim Little (Arsenal and formerly Scotland)
At 33, Little is still consistently proving she remains among the very best. An impeccable first touch, great vision and always having the attitude of a model professional are the things that define her fine career.
16 – Geyse (Manchester United and Brazil)
The Brazil forward’s close control, balance and strength, combined with her steadily growing adaptation to the English game, is exciting Manchester United supporters. She will be expected to score more goals but that will surely come in due course once fully settled.
15 – Millie Bright (Chelsea and England)
Almost indomitable in the air and a superb organiser, Bright has been a major part of every major trophy-winning side in Chelsea’s history, and she was on the verge of becoming England’s first World Cup-winning captain since Bobby Moore in August’s final against Spain in Sydney. A knee injury meant she was somewhat rusty in the group stages but she was rock-solid in the knockout games.
14 – Leah Williamson (Arsenal and England)
Cruelly ruled out since April with an ACL injury, Williamson missed the World Cup but her return in 2024 will be a major boost for club and country. Off the pitch, since leading England to Euro 2022 glory, she has become one of the best–loved names in the game.
13 – Katie McCabe (Arsenal and Republic of Ireland)
She ‘only scores bangers’, so they say, but there’s much more to McCabe than long-range scorchers, the way she wears her shirt and having a knack for getting involved in a little bit of ‘afters’ with opponents. No player has made more successful passes into the opposition’s penalty area in the WSL so far this season than McCabe, and no left–footed player strikes the ball more sweetly. Her class and versatility, at winger and full-back, are of immense value to Arsenal.
12 – Alessia Russo (Arsenal and England)
The subject of the standout, high-profile domestic transfer of the summer, Russo may not have delivered a flurry of goals but her all-round contribution, hold-up and link-up play are making Arsenal a better team. She’s the real deal.
11 – Fran Kirby (Chelsea and England)
With a ‘football brain’ admired hugely by her manager, there are not many better No10’s in the world. It is hard to believe she is 30. It seems as though she burst onto the scene at the 2015 World Cup only last week. A brilliant footballer.
10 – Rachel Daly (Aston Villa and England)
A natural finisher with great striker’s instincts in and around the box, Daly deservedly won the PFA Player of the Year prize, voted for by her peers, after powering her way to last season’s Golden Boot. She did a dutiful job at wing–back for her country in the summer but her best position is without doubt as a No 9.
9 – Lauren Hemp (Manchester City and England)
The world saw how good Hemp can be with her performance in August’s World Cup semi–final victory over Australia for England, when she ran the show, and now Manchester City fans are watching her get even better. Of significant concern for them, though, is the fact her current contract will expire next summer.
8 – Beth Mead (Arsenal and England)
When fit Mead is still England’s greatest attacking weapon – and her return from injury contributed significantly to England’s 6–0 thrashing of Scotland at Hampden Park. Lionesses fans may always wonder what might have been if she had been available for the World Cup.
7 – Alex Greenwood (Manchester City and England)
Greenwood is truly superb in possession, and every ball-playing statistic from the World Cup and the WSL has backed that up. Only Barcelona’s Mapi Leon is in the same league when it comes to the best left–footed centre–backs in the world.
6 – Mary Earps (Manchester United and England)
Named as Best Fifa Women’s Goalkeeper and finishing fifth overall in the Ballon d’Or – higher than any goalkeeper previously – it’s been quite a year for Earps, who rocketed to further fame by saving a penalty in the World Cup final. It remains to be seen whether she will stay at Manchester United, having been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal as she approaches the final six months of her contract. Whatever her next move is, her stock has never been higher.
5 – Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal and Netherlands)
The WSL simply was not the same during the 11 months that the division’s all–time record goalscorer was absent with her ACL injury, and all neutrals will be excited to see her get back to her best in 2024. Her role at Arsenal has been evolving into a deeper position so the incredible goals returns she delivered in her early years in England might not be repeated but her stature in the game is undiminished.
4 – Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw (Manchester City and Jamaica)
With 20 WSL goals last season, narrowly missing out on the Golden Boot, and finding great form again this season, Shaw deserves all the praise coming her way. Her hat–trick against Tottenham in the WSL in November epitomised her prowess in front of goal.
3 – Jill Roord (Manchester City and Netherlands)
Simply a brilliant signing for Manchester City. The club reportedly paid a fee in excess of £300,000 to buy her from Women’s Champions League finalists Wolfsburg and Roord is worth every penny.
2 – Lauren James (Chelsea and England)
No player in Britain is guaranteed to put fans on the edge of their seats like the 22–year–old, the standout talent of her generation, and no player scares defenders more. She is not the finished article and there is room for improvement in her off-the-ball positioning and pressing as she continues to develop, but in terms of skill with the ball, inventiveness and giving supporters value-for-money entertainment, she’s the golden girl.
1 – Sam Kerr (Chelsea and Australia)
Pure box-office and pure class: her off-the-ball movement is still in a league of its own and her eye for the spectacular has elevated the profile of the women’s game.
