Matildas captain Sam Kerr narrowly missed out on adding another accolade to her impressive list of individual honours, placing third in the prestigious BBC women’s footballer of the year award for 2019, behind Denmark’s Pernille Harder and winner Ada Hegerberg.

Ballon d’Or holder Hegerberg, who scored a hat-trick to propel Lyon to the Champions League title at the weekend, came out on top of the vote conducted amongst fans across the world.

Japan’s Saki Kumagai and Lindsey Horan of the US were the other two players on the five-woman shortlist and Hegerberg, who also won the award in 2017, paid tribute to each of her rivals.

“It’s an honour winning this for the second time,” she said. “Saki is my room-mate, I know her qualities and what she’s given to the club. She’s also captain of Japan which speaks for itself.

“But also Sam and Pernille are players who are at the top of their game, along with Lindsey. Winning again is such a special feeling.”

While Kerr will spearhead the Matildas’ World Cup campaign in France, starting in two weeks, Hegerberg will be absent after she stepped away from the Norway side in 2017, having become disillusioned with how women’s football is run in her homeland.