Rachel Daly wins the Women's PFA Players' Player of the Year award after finishing as WSL top scorer for Aston Villa as she sees off competition from Sam Kerr and Bunny Shaw

• Daly wins PFA Players' Player of the Year award
• Finished last season as WSL top scorer
• Helped England reach Women's World Cup final

WHAT HAPPENED? Aston Villa forward Daly, top scorer in the WSL last season, has won the prestigious Women's PFA Players' Player of the Year award. The versatile England star beat the likes of Manchester City's Bunny Shaw and Chelsea striker Sam Kerr to win the honour after notching an incredible 22 goals in as many games as Villa finished fifth in the table.

Former Manchester United player Ona Batlle, Arsenal's Frida Maanum and Guro Reiten of Chelsea were also nominated for the prize, which was awarded at a glitzy awards ceremony on Tuesday evening.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Daly's brilliant performances for Villa also earned her a spot in the Lionesses squad for the Women's World Cup, where she helped Sarina Wiegman's side go all the way to the final before they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Spain. The former Houston Dash star scored once in Australia but impressed in a number of positions as England just missed out on the trophy.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR RACHEL DALY?: The 31-year-old is currently enjoying a summer break after playing a key role in England's run to the World Cup final. She is expected to return to pre-season training in the coming weeks before the new WSL season kicks off on October 1.