Naomi Girma: Journey of the world’s most expensive female player

Girma grew up in San Jose, California, to an Ethiopian-American family and played football in rented spaces in parks with friends.

Her football experience began at the age of four, when her dad was a coach of local team Maleda Soccer Club, and she eventually joined Central Valley Crossfire five years later.

She has said, external she was often “the only black girl on my team”, and praised the support of her fellow Ethiopian-Americans and family as her career developed, along with that of coach Bob Joyce.

It was at Central Valley Crossfire where she linked up with Joyce in an all-girls team, and played there from the age of nine to 17.

“She was a star track athlete in 400m at high school with good endurance and incredible speed,” Joyce told BBC Sport after revealing Girma had taken part in a training session only because she followed a class-mate to the club.

“Most of the time she played for me as a central midfielder. I remember one coach coming up to me and saying ‘oh my god, she was shredding us today’.

“With her left foot or right foot, it did not matter. She worked really hard on her weaker foot – the left. All of that contributed to her success.”

By the time she was ready to join the National Women’s Soccer League, Girma was well-known in the US from her time at Stanford University.

Former San Diego Wave manager Casey Stoney’s first job at the club was the college draft and there was no doubt in her mind who her first pick should be.

“I remember watching so much footage [of Girma] and I was like ‘we need to pick this centre-back as number one,'” Stoney told BBC Sport.

“I had a few good battles internally because other people didn’t want to pick her as number one and I was very strong because I saw so much talent and potential.

“I know a centre-back when I see one. I’m very big on how we build our foundations and I just felt she would give us so much.”