Jamaican striker Shaw is one of the stars of Gareth Taylor’s Barclays Women’s Super League side, having scored 48 goals in 59 appearances.
As we discovered in our 2021 interview with her, Shaw’s opportunities to play the game as a young girl in Spanish Town were few and far between.
However, after agreeing with her mum that passing all her classes would give her permission to play, Bunny instantly excelled.
After playing in age groups way beyond her years, she left home to move to the US and settled at Eastern Florida State before moving the University of Tennessee alongside studying for a degree in communications.
Having come through all of that, Shaw is now a shining light for her country and the leading star for the Reggae Girlz at the recent World Cup.
Asked about Shaw in relation to this year’s Black History Month theme ‘Saluting Our Sisters’, Houghton was unequivocal in her praise.
She said: “With Bunny, we can speak so much about her as a player but I think her journey to where she is today, being from Jamaica and fighting her way to play professional football is special. Everybody has their own stories but Bunny’s is so special.
“We know what she brings to the team as a player but for us as friends and for fans out there to have that representation you can aspire to be.
“When you are in that position, you have a job not just as a footballer but you have the job of inspiring people to do what you do and being that role model.”
The captain is also honoured to lead such a diverse squad, especially when she sees the effect it has on youngsters around the world who dream of one day making a living from the sport.
“I’m proud to be part of our women’s team because everybody has gone through different struggles to get where we are today,” she said.
“Everybody’s so different it reaches out to so many young girls and boys across the world. That’s a special feeling. “
