Whisper it, but Manchester City defender Alanna Kennedy might be the most underrated centre-back in the Women’s Super League (WSL).
The 28-year-old Australia international is in her third season with City but injuries — a broken nose in April last year, a hamstring problem and a fractured shoulder in the September and a calf tear in March — have disrupted her time at the club.
It is only now she seems truly settled and is playing some of her best football as a result.
Kennedy was a somewhat unassuming signing, joining from fellow WSL side Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the 2021-22 season. She predominantly played in defensive midfield during her year at Spurs having arrived during the Covid-19 pandemic, a period which saw several Australians (notably Arsenal duo Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley) move to WSL teams having previously played in the American league or back home.
Kennedy, left, battling it out with Australia team-mate Catley during a City-Arsenal game in November (John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)
It is easy to have an opinion on a player that’s influenced by their off-field persona.
Kennedy has a wonderful tendency to be rather goofy; the video of her reacting to her nose being broken in an international match was social media gold. That has…
