Liverpool FC Women endured a difficult 2025-26 campaign, finishing 11th in the Women’s Super League after a season that never quite settled into the rhythm Gareth Taylor would have wanted.
The Reds also suffered heartbreak in the Women’s FA Cup semi-finals, surrendering a two-goal lead before Brighton scored in the 95th minute to win 3-2.
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Yet amid those struggles, one of Liverpool’s academy products provided a particularly encouraging storyline.
The new campaign has already brought another opportunity for the club’s young players to make their mark, and one Liverpool midfielder has now taken on an even bigger responsibility on the international stage.
England began their 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup campaign in Poland on Saturday, drawing 1-1 with Canada at Bielsko-Biala Stadium.
Rachel Maltby’s late penalty rescued a point after Annabelle Chukwu had put Canada ahead in the 52nd minute.
The England side was led from midfield by Zara Shaw, who captained the Young Lionesses and completed the entire match.
The 19-year-old Liverpool midfielder has already experienced a remarkable rise over the past two years.
Shaw came through the Reds’ academy before making her senior debut in May 2024 and signing her first professional contract in August 2025.
Her progress has also come despite significant setbacks.
Shaw suffered an ACL injury in 2023 before another anterior cruciate ligament setback while representing England U19s in April 2025.
That second injury kept her out for more than a year, with her senior Liverpool return eventually coming in April 2026.
Her comeback could hardly have been more dramatic.
After 414 days away from the Liverpool senior side, Shaw came off the bench against Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup quarter-final and scored the winning goal in the 115th minute.
It was her first appearance since the injury and sent Liverpool into the semi-finals.
She followed that with another goal against Arsenal on the final day of the WSL campaign, despite Liverpool eventually losing 3-1 at Anfield.
Shaw’s performances were enough to earn her a place in England’s 21-player U20 World Cup squad.
She had also captained the Young Lionesses during their final World Cup warm-up, a 2-0 victory over Portugal in August.
Against Canada, England created several promising openings but needed Maltby’s late penalty to avoid defeat.
Shaw and her teammates will now turn their attention to Tanzania on Tuesday before facing Brazil three days later.
For Liverpool, Shaw’s growing leadership role represents another positive development for an academy graduate who has already overcome considerable adversity.
And with the midfielder now captaining England at a major international tournament, her next chapter is beginning to look increasingly significant.
Zara Shaw captained the #YoungLionesses, and featured for the whole of the Group B match, as they got their #U20WWC campaign underway with a 1-1 draw against Canada 💪 pic.twitter.com/xaf2lIgFwA
— Liverpool FC Women (@LiverpoolFCW) September 5, 2026
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