Ann-Katrin Berger, the Birmingham City goalkeeper who returned from thyroid cancer treatment after just two months, has been named as the joint Women’s Super League Players’ Player of the Year, alongside Manchester City’s Jill Scott.

Both players were honoured at the 20th annual FA Women’s Football Awards ceremony on Friday night while Emma Hayes was named head coach of the year after clinching the double with Chelsea.

Berger astounded her fellow players as they watched her bounce back from thyroid cancer to have another impressive season for Birmingham. Berger was diagnosed in November last year but returned to the squad less than two months later, helping her side to a top-half finish and was named in the PFA Team of the Year.

Scott was recognised by her peers as a crucial figure in Manchester City’s season, helping the side to secure second place in the Women’s Super League 1 table. In February she became only the second player to make 100 appearances for the club since they were relaunched in 2014.

Hayes, who recently gave birth to a boy, led Chelsea to the WSL title after seeing her side lift the Women’s FA Cup at Wembley with a 3-1 win over Arsenal.

