The winners of the Barclays Women’s Super League’s awards for the opening month of the 2024/25 campaign have now been confirmed.
The inaugural monthly winners for the new season – voted for by a combination of the public and a panel of experts – are as follows.
Firstly, Brighton & Hove Albion forward and league newcomer Kiko Seike has been named as Player of the Month after becoming the first player to score a hat-trick on her Barclays WSL debut.
Announcing herself to the Seagulls faithful with treble on her maiden appearance in a 4-0 win over Everton at the Broadfield Stadium, her first and third efforts in that opening day victory were also shortlisted for Goal of the Month.
Although her second game saw her on the wrong end of a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City, the Japanese international saw off competition from Grace Clinton, Millie Turner, Bethany England, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Frida Maanum to take the accolade.
The Manager of the Month award meanwhile also goes to a new face in the league in Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor, who secured the honour ahead of Marc Skinner (Manchester United) and Robert Vilahamn (Tottenham Hotspur)
The reigning champions have made a strong start to the new campaign under the stewardship of Bompastor in her first job in England, collecting maximum points in their two September fixtures against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, scoring eight goals and conceding none.
Finally, Manchester City’s Jess Park’s long-range strike against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on the opening day of the season was voted as Goal of the Month for September.
In what was a month of memorable goals and an extensive shortlist that included efforts from Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Kiko Seike, Leah Galton, Olga Ahtinen, Olivia Smith and Adriana Leon, Park’s 20-yard strike came out on top.
