Lionesses legends Alex Scott and Steph Houghton among four inductees to WSL Hall of Fame as ex-England defender Gilly Flaherty and trailblazing referee Rebecca Welch also recognised

Scott, now well-known for her role as a pundit and a presenter, called time on her playing career back in 2018, after racking up 140 caps for England and winning 22 major honours at Arsenal, including the Champions League. The full-back was part of the Lionesses side that reached the final of the European Championship in 2009, and the one that finished third at the 2015 Women's World Cup.

Houghton, meanwhile, only retired earlier this year, after a 22-year club career at the top of the English game which returned 16 trophies. Eight of those came at Manchester City, whom she captained for her entire 10-year stay, an honour she also held with England. Only Faye White has had a longer stint as Lionesses skipper than Houghton, who helped her country reach three successive semi-finals as they firmly established themselves among the elite in the women's game.

Also inducted into the Hall of Fame this year are Gilly Flaherty, the former England defender, and referee Rebecca Welch. Flaherty won nine caps in a 17-year career which saw her represent Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool. Stints with the former two produced trophies galore, with her also part of Arsenal's European triumph in 2007 alongside Scott. Flaherty racked up 177 WSL appearances and scored the league's first-ever goal back in 2011.

Welch completes the 2024 inductees, following her retirement from officiating back in August. The 41-year-old is a trailblazing figure in her realm of the game, becoming the first woman to referee an English Football League match in 2021 and the first to do so in the Premier League in 2023, after several years of officiating at the highest level of in the women's game.

These four inductees take the WSL Hall of Fame's total up to 14, after it was established in 2021. It is mainly made up of players, with Kelly Smith, Rachel Yankey, Fara Williams, Karen Carney, Katie Chapman, Eni Aluko, Jill Scott, Ellen White and Anita Asante all recognised. Welch is just the second non-footballer to be added, after former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes.

Scott, Houghton, Flaherty and Welch will be part of an official induction at a special WSL Hall of Fame celebration event in January 2025.