‘She can do what Beckham did’: Océane Hurtré making waves at Birmingham

WSL’s second-highest goalscorer is likened to England legend for her crossing and has earned France call-up

At the conclusion of Birmingham’s warm-up, the players quietly and carefully placed their footballs into a draw-string bag. All except one, Océane Hurtré, who nonchalantly chipped hers straight into the bag from about 15 yards. It was an innocuous moment that might have escaped most onlookers at Hednesford Town’s Keys Park but it demonstrated the swagger with which she is playing.

To observe the 22-year-old warming up before last week’s 1-1 League Cup draw at Aston Villa was to witness a player making skills look easy, taking one touch where others took two and pulling off no-look passes. She is backing up that panache in the Women’s Super League, as the joint-second-highest goalscorer with six from the promoted side’s opening eight matches. Only Khadija Shaw has scored more.