Beth Mead has hit out at the poor treatment she and fellow nominees received at the Ballon d'Or ceremony last year.
The Arsenal and England star attended the glitzy awards show in Paris last October, finishing second in the women's player category. But she has now described the attendance of her and her fellow female professionals as a "tick box" exercise.
Mead was runner-up to Barcelona star Alexia Putellas who took home the main award. Chelsea's Sam Kerr was third. But speaking on the Boots, Balls and Bras podcast Mead, who is still recovering from a season-ending ACL injury, said she preferred the recent FIFA Best Awards, where she finished third.
