Ella Toone has been named Manchester United Women’s Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, and third time overall.
Toone overcame stiff competition from Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Maya Le Tissier, who came second and third respectively in the fan vote, after a year where the Reds qualified for the Champions League and reached another Adobe Women’s FA Cup final.
It has at times been a difficult campaign on a personal level for Ella, who suffered the loss of her father Nick in early September, just days before his 60th birthday.
“There’s a big hole in my heart that can never be filled but all I can do now is continue to make you proud,”
wrote Ella, who bravely featured for the Reds in our season-opener at Old Trafford just two weeks later.
Her record-breaking run of consecutive WSL appearances as an outfielder came to an end in November, however, as she suffered an injury that would keep her out for the rest of 2024.
Lesser players would have struggled to respond to such adversity, but Toone - who will always give her all for the United cause - returned with a bang in January.
Her hat-trick against Manchester City spurred us on to a 4-2 victory at the Etihad Stadium that would ultimately prove crucial to edging our neighbours out of the European qualification spots come May.
Two more goals came the following week, in a 3-0 thrashing of Brighton – a fourth straight win during a run of seven for Marc Skinner’s side.
Toone also made a huge mark in the run to our third straight cup final, finding the net against West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland.
Only Elisabeth Terland and Clinton have scored more for the Reds this term, and Tooney will of course be eager to add to her tally when we play Chelsea in the final at Wembley on Sunday.
For now, she can be supremely satisfied with another individual accolade, following on from her 2022 and 2024 prizes in this category.