Programme notesMatt Beard on Melissa Lawley: '100-game mark is fully deserved'

If selected, the attacker will bring up the milestone in this afternoon’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Prenton Park in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

Paying tribute to Lawley in his pre-match notes for the matchday programme, which features her on the cover, Beard said: “All being well, Mel Lawley will play her 100th game for Liverpool today and she deserves all the recognition that comes with that milestone.

“She’s a great character and just makes you laugh! She’s been a great servant to this football club.

“Mel has had a really tough hip injury and to come back from it has been hard and she’s still in that process of getting fully fit.

“When she decided to have the operation, we sat down and looked at it and at that point we were safe from relegation and we were thinking we would get her back in for the new season because it was a six-month rehabilitation.

“We could have tried different methods but at some point she would have had to have the surgery done, so I think it was the right decision and we just have to be patient with that process.

“However, you only have to look at last week’s game to see that there’s no-one better than Mel at dropping the shoulder and beating players. When she’s on it, she’s on it, and she can be unplayable.

“This league gets stronger and tougher every year and Mel’s done really well so we’re really pleased with her. We love Mel to pieces and she really deserves to reach that 100-game mark.”

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