Mannion discusses her injury journey

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In contrast to all the highs, injuries are an aspect of the game that can’t always be avoided and ultimately can leave a player out of action for a considerable amount of time.

However, it’s a player’s mindset and ability to turn a negative into a positive when something unfortunate happens. Aoife Mannion is a shining example of such behaviour, with the Manchester United Women’s defender eyeing a return to action after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury back in March – her second in just over two years.

We caught up with Aoife in order to find out just how important having a determined, hardworking and resilient attitude is when faced with challenging times.

Aoife’s first ACL injury came back in October 2019, in what was a complete rupture of the ligament in her right knee.

“From the day I got injured until I returned it was about 15 months, so it was a really, really long time, it was really drawn out. We had the Covid experience, which was obviously really unsettling for everybody, and what that meant in the football world was obviously we weren’t in the training ground, so a large portion of my rehab was at home,” she explained.

After persevering through rehab to get back to playing, Aoife unfortunately re-injured the same knee in last season’s Conti Cup semi-final against Chelsea. It’s a difficult process to go through once, let alone twice, as Aoife explained.

“As players, we’re used to having a standard routine that involves all the teammates. You’re going into training, you’re in the gym together, and then an ACL injury just represents a departure from that. So, it’s to sort of be isolated and be on your own for so long.”

Not one to dwell on things, Aoife’s clear determination shines through when speaking about her experience. Having explained the change in her life due to the injury, it was no surprise that she immediately looked for the silver lining in what was a dark cloud of a situation. “This time, however, it seems to be going really well. I’m feeling energised, I’m feeling competitive, I’m getting itchy feet and I’m asking the physio ‘How long? How long?’

“And so, it’s just kind of almost two different injuries, even though they’re both named ACLs, and I’m happy that this time it feels like the good, or the better experience of the two rather than last time.” 

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