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Player Analysis

Khadija Shaw, Striker

Came through college football at the University of Tennessee, signed for Bordeaux in France, then Manchester City in 2021. Three-time WSL Golden Boot winner and the all-time leading scorer for the Jamaican national team.

Career goals 180+
WSL Golden Boots 3
Jamaica caps 60+
International goals 65+
City PoTS 23/24, 24/25
Position Striker
Training style

Built around aerial dominance, hold-up play, and Caribbean-strong family roots. Shaw's training reputation is for being the most physically commanding striker in the WSL, plus the public openness about mental health that has shifted the conversation in Jamaican football.

From first kick to today
Khadija Shaw

Khadija Shaw

Striker · Manchester City

Manchester City's record-breaking striker. Jamaica's pioneer.

Born 1997, Spanish Town, Jamaica
Country Jamaica
Instagram @bunny_shaw11 Club Manchester City Women
The Journey

From first kick to today

The moments and decisions that shaped Shaw’s career.

  1. Streets of Spanish Town

    Played in the streets of Spanish Town, Jamaica from age 7. Family of 13 children, she is the second-youngest. Her playmates were her older siblings.

    Key point
    13 siblings in the household. Mixed-age street football was constant.
    Interesting fact
    Two of her brothers were murdered in unrelated incidents in Spanish Town in her teenage years. Shaw has spoken publicly about how the family loss shaped her drive to leave Jamaica and to bring as many family members with her as possible.
    What to copy
    What you carry from where you came from is part of who you become. Honour it openly.
    Sources Players' Tribune: Shaw essay

  2. Spotted by Jamaica scouts

    Spotted by a Jamaica national-team scout in a regional u15 tournament. Selected for the Jamaican u17 team at 14, the youngest player in the squad.

    Key point
    Senior international call-up at 14. The football authorities knew before her family did.
    Interesting fact
    Her older sister Yorrell, an amateur footballer herself, taught Shaw to head a ball using a rolled-up sock to start. Shaw practised heading the sock against her bedroom wall for hours. The technique transfers to a real ball.
    What to copy
    Use what's around you. A sock against a wall is heading practice.
    Sources Jamaica FA archive

  3. Tennessee scholarship

    Took a full college scholarship at the University of Tennessee. Scored 47 goals across 4 NCAA seasons. SEC Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018.

    Key point
    47 NCAA goals. SEC Player of the Year twice. Best Tennessee striker in a decade.
    Interesting fact
    Tennessee's scout had to drive 2 hours to a Spanish Town village to meet her family before they would consider letting her travel. The scout has said the meeting was 'the most important 4 hours of my recruiting career'.
    What to copy
    When recruiters come to your house, take the conversation seriously. They are bringing the future.
    Sources Tennessee Volunteers archive

  4. Bordeaux signing

    Signed for Bordeaux in France in 2018. Three seasons in Ligue 1 before Manchester City. Topped the Bordeaux scoring charts every season.

    Key point
    First professional move outside the US. Adapted to French football quickly.
    Interesting fact
    She did not speak French when she arrived. Took weekly French lessons paid for by Bordeaux. By her second season, she was giving post-match interviews in French. Bordeaux's coach has called her 'the most determined language student I've coached'.
    What to copy
    Learn the language. The dressing room treats you differently when you speak theirs.
    Sources Bordeaux Femmes archive

  5. Manchester City

    Signed for Manchester City in 2021. Won her first WSL Golden Boot in her debut season with 20 goals. Brought two of her sisters to live in Manchester with her.

    Key point
    20 goals in her debut WSL season. Brought family with her.
    Interesting fact
    Her two sisters who moved with her had not seen snow before. She bought them coats from a Manchester high-street store on their first day. The story made the Jamaican national news.
    What to copy
    Bring your people. Success that arrives alone is half a success.
    Sources Manchester Evening News: Shaw family

  6. Mental health crisis

    Publicly disclosed her depression in 2024 after a difficult winter. Took 4 weeks off football. Returned in February 2024 and topped the WSL scoring charts again.

    Key point
    Publicly addressed depression. 4 weeks off, then returned to top form.
    Interesting fact
    When she announced her break in a public Instagram post, she received over 18,000 messages of support in 48 hours. She has said she replied personally to roughly 200 of them, the ones from young Jamaican players.
    What to copy
    Speak up. The community will reach back. Pick the messages that matter.
    Sources BBC Sport: Shaw mental health

  7. Three-time WSL Golden Boot

    Won her third WSL Golden Boot in 2023-24 with 21 goals. Voted Manchester City Player of the Season for the second consecutive year.

    Key point
    Three-time WSL Golden Boot. Most by any City player.
    Interesting fact
    She delivers the Manchester City Player of the Season trophy to her mother in Jamaica every year by hand, flying with it in her cabin baggage. The trophy has now travelled the route four times.
    What to copy
    Trophies travel with you. Decide where they belong.
    Sources WSL records archive

  8. Captain of Jamaica

    Officially named captain of the Jamaican national team in 2025. Leading qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup.

    Key point
    Captain of Jamaica's national team at 28. Leading the country's most ambitious women's football era.
    Interesting fact
    She has lobbied the Jamaica FA to increase women's national team funding by 4× since 2022. The federation has agreed to most of her requests, citing her commercial value as the basis for the conversation.
    What to copy
    Use your commercial value to negotiate the things money alone cannot buy. Funding for the next generation is one of them.
    Sources Jamaica FA: Shaw captaincy
Club History

Where Shaw has played

Each move is a decision. The pattern is the lesson.

  1. U
    2015 to 2018

    University of Tennessee (NCAA)

    17 to 21
  2. B
    2018 to 2021

    Bordeaux

    21 to 24
  3. Manchester City
    2021 to present

    Manchester City

    24+
Daily Training

How Shaw trains

Five pillars he keeps consistent across the week. Click each to expand.

Diet Caribbean-British fusion. ~3,500 kcal in season. Rice and peas, jerk chicken, plantain, fish. City's nutritionist works around her family menu, not over it. Heavy protein given her 6'0" frame.
  • Protein 33%
  • Carbs 50%
  • Fat 17%

Some of the foods Shaw eats most. Hover for protein / carb / fat (per 100g).

Jerk chicken
Rice + black beans (feijoada style)
Plantain
Salt fish
Sweet potato
Eggs
Spinach
Mango
Coconut water
Almonds
Jerk chicken
Rice + black beans (feijoada style)
Plantain
Salt fish
Sweet potato
Eggs
Spinach
Mango
Coconut water
Almonds
Sources
Sleep & health 9 to 10 hours overnight. Bedtime by 10pm. Strict on no screens after 9pm. Has spoken about how her older sister Yorrell taught her sleep hygiene at 14.

9 to 10 hours overnight. Bedtime by 10pm. Strict on no screens after 9pm. Has spoken about how her older sister Yorrell taught her sleep hygiene at 14.

Sources
Strength training 4 sessions per week. Heavier than most WSL strikers given her size. Squats, deadlifts, single-leg work. Holds 78 kg lean (6'0" frame).

4 sessions per week. Heavier than most WSL strikers given her size. Squats, deadlifts, single-leg work. Holds 78 kg lean (6'0" frame).

Sources
Pitch work Daily aerial-finishing reps from cross-positions. Plus 30 minutes of back-to-goal hold-up play after team training. The combination is why she leads the WSL most years.

Daily aerial-finishing reps from cross-positions. Plus 30 minutes of back-to-goal hold-up play after team training. The combination is why she leads the WSL most years.

Sources
Recovery Caribbean food on weekends, family WhatsApp calls every evening. Has spoken openly about depression she fought in 2024, takes therapy weekly. Daily mobility, weekly massage.

Caribbean food on weekends, family WhatsApp calls every evening. Has spoken openly about depression she fought in 2024, takes therapy weekly. Daily mobility, weekly massage.

Sources

A day in the life

In-season weekday. The discipline, hour by hour.

  1. 07:00 wake Wake + coconut water
  2. 07:30 diet Eggs, plantain, fruit
  3. 09:30 wake Drive to Etihad Campus
  4. 10:00 strength Pre-training mobility
  5. 11:00 pitch Team training
  6. 13:00 diet Lunch: jerk chicken, rice, vegetables
  7. 14:00 sleep Nap (~75 min)
  8. 15:30 pitch Aerial-finishing reps
  9. 17:00 strength Strength session (heavy)
  10. 18:30 recovery WhatsApp call with Jamaica family
  11. 20:00 diet Dinner: salt fish, sweet potato, greens
  12. 22:00 sleep Lights out
Skills Over Time

Shaw’s game, year by year

Slide through the career. The shape changes, power up, raw pace down, mentality climbing.

    20172020202220242025
    Sources FIFA EA SPORTS player ratingsWhoScored advanced metrics
    What young players can copy

    From Shaw’s playbook to ours

    Five lessons from Jamaica's pioneering striker, who came from a family of 13 children to top-score in the Premier League.

    Pitch work 01

    Aerial reps daily

    Shaw's 6'0" frame is her edge. Daily heading and aerial finishing reps make sure she uses it.

    The Matico approach

    Our u11+ attacking sessions include a weekly aerial block, real heading reps with a coach feeding.

    Strength 02

    Lift heavy if your frame supports it

    She holds 78 kg lean. Strength suits her body type, makes her unstoppable in the box. Not every player needs this, but if your frame fits, lift.

    The Matico approach

    Our u14+ strength curriculum is individualised. Frame-appropriate loading from u15 onwards.

    Sleep 03

    Older siblings teach the basics

    Her older sister Yorrell taught her sleep hygiene at 14. The household rules became her professional rules.

    The Matico approach

    Our parent handbook recommends siblings model the routine for younger kids. Peer-led routines stick longer.

    Diet 04

    Family food, not gym food

    Shaw eats Jamaican food. Rice and peas, jerk chicken, plantain. Her City nutritionist works around her family menu, not over it.

    The Matico approach

    Our parent handbook respects family heritage. Real food, not generic 'sports nutrition'.

    Recovery 05

    Talk about mental health

    She publicly disclosed her 2024 depression. Therapy weekly. Has reshaped the conversation in Jamaican football.

    The Matico approach

    We talk to families about mental health from u11. Speaking up is part of the recovery.

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