Barrovian footballer Georgia Stanway has opened up about the shocking abuse she faced over a red card in the Manchester derby.

The Manchester City star was sent off when her side played Manchester United on October 9 for a tackle on Leah Galton – which she apologised for.

But speaking to Sky Sports this week, the 22-year-old said she had faced a barrage of abusive comments online which left her feeling 'worthless'.

She said: "I made a tackle against Man Utd, which was very mis-timed.

"I took the hit on that, took ownership of the situation and apologised to the opposition that it had happened.

"I apologised to the girls and I was remorseful for the situation that I had caused.

"However, coming onto social media after the game, I felt the need in having to write a statement and apologise.

"The statement was more put out there because I logged onto my social media and I got thousands of messages telling me I'm never going to be able to have kids, they hope my period hurts – just things that aren't even associated with football."

Stanway revealed the incident had brought her to tears and made her question whether she was good enough to play football.

City are due to face their nearest rivals again tonight in the FA WSL Cup, looking to bounce back from a 4-0 league defeat at home to Chelsea on Sunday.

They will also be eager to get one over their rivals after their clash last month finished 2-2 following Stanway's dismissal, with Khadija Shaw's goal cancelled out by Lucy Staniforth and Alessia Russo before Ellen White struck late to earn a draw.

Stanway felt she had been the victim of people who may not have even seen the tackle but simply wanted 'someone they can attack'.

"I was at the forefront of that but I'm very thankful for the girls that are around me and my support network that allows me to have the confidence to talk about it now," she told Sky Sports.

"I want to get back on the grass and put in performances for the team."

In a Tweet after the previous derby, Stanway said: "Everyone who knows me knows I'm passionate and competitive.

"There was absolutely no malice intended and I'm glad Leah was okay and able to carry on with the game."