Arsenal and England defender Leah Williamson returned to the pitch for the first time in nine months on Wednesday night, having suffered after an ACL injury in April 2023.
It has been a long time since fans last saw Williamson on a football field, but the Lionesses skipper is finally back, making her long awaited return in Arsenal's thumping win over Reading in the Conti Cup.
Arsenal fans were devastated when, 12 minutes into the Gunners' 1-0 loss to Manchester United last April, vice-captain Williamson fell to the ground, smacking the grass in pain, knowing she had suffered the dreaded injury and would be ruled out of the 2023 World Cup.
After a lengthy rehab process, the defender made the matchday squad for the first time in 280 days. Then, coming off the bench in the 60th minute of the eventual 6- win, the 26-year-old was welcomed back to the pitch with roars of celebration and a standing ovation by those inside Reading's Select Car Leasing Stadium. Soon afterwards, she assisted Beth Mead for Arsenal's fifth goal of the night.
"This is where I want to be," she said afterwards. "I want my Wednesdays to be filled with football. I've been like a little kid all week, basically acting like Beth does on a daily basis. There were some nerves sitting on the bench [waiting to come on]."
"Imagine, this is my job. I love playing football, and there are bits of it that some people do love, but I don't, and I’ve basically had to do all of the bits I don't like for nine months without any reward," Williamson continued as she reflected on the work to get to this moment.
"To speak in terms of playing on the pitch, it’s been a long journey but, to be honest, it has gone really quickly. The girls that I’ve had around me, Laura, Viv, Beth, Teyah [Goldie], Kaylan [Marckese], yeah it's special; special people get you through tough times.
"I love playing football for Arsenal. Everyone knows how much I love the club...I'm going to get emotional if I talk about it too much, but I'm just happy to be back, and I don't know, try and help my team. I’ve missed playing for England, so hopefully I can get myself back in contention."
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall hinted in previous weeks that Williamson was close to a return, having been reintroduced to full training. It is also a big boost for England manager Sarina Wiegman who recently signed a new contract to remain at the helm until 2027.
Last season, Williamson became the third Arsenal player to suffer the ACL injury after Mead and Vivianne Miedema, while Laura Wienroither soon followed. Mead and Miedema have been back for a few months, with Wienroither still a little way off her return but making promising progress.
Following her injury, Williamson opted not to dwell on the extensive nine-month rehabilitation period. Instead, she chose to maximise her time off, expressing the necessity for it after lamenting the congested fixture calendar in women's football. She received an OBE in the recent New Year's Honours and delivered a historic speech at the United Nations' Sustainability Development Goals Summit in New York.
Williamson lifted the European Championship trophy with England in 2022, before then captaining the side to victory in the inaugural Finalissima against Brazil just weeks before her injury.
Every England and Arsenal fan will be over the moon to see their stalwart defender back and kicking a ball, with the WSL title still left to challenge for as Arsenal currently sit third, level on points with Manchester City and three points behind Chelsea. Arsenal travel to Liverpool over the weekend, where Williamson will be hoping to make her return to league football.
