Westfield Matildas trio named among Guardian's best 100 female footballers

Westfield Matildas stars Elise Kellond-Knight, Alanna Kennedy and Emily van Egmond have all been included on the Guardian's list of the best 100 female footballers in the world.

Places 100 to 71 of the publication's countdown have been released following consultation with an expert panel.

Arsenal Women head coach Joe Montemurro - formerly in charge of Melbourne City - was among the judges who recognised Kellond-Knight, Kennedy and Van Egmond as being among the premier players in the game.

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Sydney FC centre-back Kennedy finished 99th in the count, one spot behind 98th-ranked Newcastle Jets co-captain Van Egmond.

The experienced Kellond-Knight, who recently returned to the Westfield W-League following a stint in Sweden, claimed 76th thanks to another typically consistent 12 months for club and country.

All three were central figures as the Westfield Matildas reached the final of the AFC Women's Asian Cup in April and appear set for key roles at next year's FIFA Women's World Cup.

The Guardian will release two more groups of 30 before the top 10 is revealed on Friday.

Sam Kerr - fifth in the inaugural Women's Ballon d'Or vote - is expected to be among the best-ranked players after finishing third on last year's list.

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