Liverpool Dragon
18yo Wins Liverpool Women’s Player of the Month for April After Stunning FA Cup Winner on Return From 400-Day Injury Absence
Some football moments write themselves, and Zara Shaw’s return to action in April was exactly that kind of story.
The 18-year-old Scouser has been voted Liverpool FC Women’s Standard Chartered Player of the Month for April by supporters, and it is impossible to argue with the choice.
Shaw came off the bench in extra time of the Women’s FA Cup quarter-final at Charlton Athletic and scored in the 115th minute to send Liverpool through to the semi-finals. It was her first appearance for the senior side in over 400 days, having fought back from the second ACL injury of her young career. That she produced a match-winning moment in those circumstances is the kind of thing that makes women’s football so worth following.
What the Win Means to Shaw
Collecting the trophy at the AXA Melwood Training Centre, Shaw was characteristically humble about the recognition. She admitted she did not expect it, pointed to the joy of simply being back with the squad and described the supporters’ vote as genuinely touching. The Charlton goal, she said, is something she will carry with her forever. Given everything she has been through to get back on that pitch, that feels entirely right.
A Season Defined by Ceri Holland and One Magical Moment
The monthly award table from 2025/26 tells its own story. Ceri Holland won three of the eight monthly prizes across the campaign, reflecting her outstanding season in midfield. Beata Olsson claimed two consecutive awards in the autumn.
Shaw’s April win stands apart from all of them though, not because of volume of performances but because of the sheer emotional weight of the single moment that earned it.
A Future That Looks Bright
Two ACL injuries before turning 19 would break most players. Shaw has come through it and scored a cup quarter-final winner on her comeback. Liverpool have something genuinely special here if they can keep her fit.
Liverpool Dragon
Wales and Powys Star Ceri Holland Wins Liverpool FC Women Players’ Player of the Season Award for 2025/26 Campaign
Ceri Holland has been voted Liverpool FC Women’s Players’ Player of the Year for 2025/26, and the fact it came from her teammates makes it the most meaningful kind of recognition there is. You can fool the public with a good performance here and there. You cannot fool the people who train alongside you every single day.
Holland, who has strong ties to Wales and Powys, picked up the award at the club’s end of season ceremony at the AXA Melwood Training Centre ahead of the final WSL fixture of the season against Arsenal at Anfield. It was a fitting way to close out a campaign that, for Holland personally, represented one of the best of her career.
What Made Holland Stand Out This Season
The Welsh international has been one of the more quietly impressive midfielders in the WSL this season. Liverpool have had a mixed campaign overall, but Holland’s consistency and work ethic in the middle of the park gave the team a platform to build from week after week.
The Players’ Player award does not go to the flashiest name in the squad. It goes to the player whose teammates respect most, and Holland clearly has that respect in abundance.
A Proud Moment for Wales
Holland made her Wales debut years ago and has continued to grow as an international player alongside her club form. Recognition like this at club level only strengthens her case for a central role in the Wales setup going forward. Welsh football fans should feel genuinely proud of what she has built at Liverpool.
What Comes Next
Liverpool finished their season with a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at Anfield. The summer rebuild under Gareth Taylor is expected to be significant, but Holland looks certain to be a core part of whatever comes next at the club.
Liverpool Dragon
Gemma Bonner and Gemma Evans Given Guard of Honour at Anfield as Liverpool FC Women Say Farewell to Two Servants of the Club
Liverpool FC Women brought the curtain down on their 2025/26 WSL season on Friday with a 1-3 home defeat to Arsenal, but the result almost felt secondary to what happened around the match. Both Gemma Bonner and Gemma Evans were honoured with a guard of honour before kick-off, a moment that felt entirely right for two players who gave everything for this club.
Bonner leaves as Liverpool’s all-time leading appearance maker in the WSL era with 187 games across two spells, having first arrived back in 2012.
She captained the club to back-to-back WSL titles in 2013 and 2014, returned in 2023 to help re-establish them in the top flight, and spent her final season navigating injuries while still showing up for her teammates every single day. That is the definition of a club legend and Liverpool should treat her like one.
What Evans Brought to the Club
Evans joined at the start of 2024/25 and made 27 league appearances across two seasons, operating across the backline with the kind of calm professionalism that is genuinely hard to replace. Gareth Taylor was vocal about her influence both on the pitch and inside the dressing room, and that speaks volumes about the type of player and person she is.
Bonner’s Emotional Farewell Letter
Bonner released an open letter to supporters that was as sincere as anything you will read in football. She touched on the grief of losing Matt Beard this season, the joy of the title victories, and her hope of returning to the club in some capacity in the future. It did not read like a PR exercise. It read like someone who genuinely loves Liverpool Football Club.
What Comes Next
Retirement feels likely for Bonner given her age and recent injury history. Evans will probably seek regular playing time elsewhere. Both deserve whatever comes next.
Liverpool Dragon
Gemma Bonner Writes Emotional Farewell Letter to Liverpool Women Supporters After Nine Years and 186 WSL Appearances
Gemma Bonner has said goodbye to Liverpool FC Women in the most fitting way possible, with a heartfelt open letter to supporters ahead of Saturday’s final WSL fixture of the season against Arsenal at Anfield. It is the kind of farewell the defender fully deserves after a career at the club that most players could only dream of.
Bonner captained Liverpool to back-to-back WSL titles in 2013 and 2014 during her first spell at the club before returning in January 2023 to help the team re-establish themselves in the top flight. She leaves as the all-time leading appearance maker for Liverpool in the WSL era, having played 186 games across two spells spanning nine years.
A Letter That Says Everything About Who She Is
The letter Bonner wrote is not the work of a footballer going through the motions of a farewell. It is genuine, considered and full of the kind of honesty that has defined her throughout her career.
She spoke about what it meant to captain this club, to lift two WSL titles, to play in the Champions League and to represent a city and a fanbase she has loved her entire life. She also acknowledged the painful moments, pointing specifically to the grief of losing Matt Beard this past season as one of the most difficult periods she has had to navigate.
A Legacy That Will Not Be Forgotten Quickly
186 appearances. Two league titles. A record as Liverpool’s most capped WSL player. Bonner has earned every bit of the send-off she will receive at Anfield on Saturday.
What Comes Next
Bonner was careful not to close the door entirely on Liverpool, expressing a genuine hope that she can return to the club in some capacity in the future. That feels right. Some players are just too important to a club to ever fully leave it behind.
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