Women’s Under-19s player Evie Northwood stepped up her recovery with a return to action on the pitch on Wednesday in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Brighton & Hove Albion’s Academy.
Evie, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in October, 2024, featured in the second half of the friendly at Hotspur Way and got through a scheduled amount of minutes in her first piece of action in 13 months.
The friendly against the Seagulls is part of preparation for our Professional Game Academy League Cup first round fixture against London City Lionesses next Wednesday (19 November).
Having been back in full contact training in recent weeks, the youngster spoke about her excitement to be back on the pitch with her team-mates and the ‘huge step’ in her recovery to competitive action.
“It felt good to play my first few minutes," she told us. "I would say it’s been a long time coming so I actually felt quite comfortable and unfazed coming into the game, which is obviously a nice feeling to have after being out for so long.
“I have been training well in recent weeks and I felt was ready – especially physically - so that’s also a big confidence boost. Chelsea [Cooper], Robert [Rangel] and the rest of the performance team have played a huge part in that - and I can’t thank them enough for how they have dealt with me over the last 13 months, getting me to the best possible place coming into this game. I still have a long way to go but this is a huge step in my return.
“With us having a fairly new and a young squad this season, there’s a few girls in the group that I haven’t had the opportunity to play alongside yet, so it was nice to come back in. Also, to be back playing with some of the girls I’m more familiar with felt great as I have been one of their biggest supporters throughout the last year.”
Alongside her gratitude for the performance team in her rehabilitation, Evie was also keen to thank the support of her team-mates and a couple of first team players – Ella Morris and Kit Graham, who helped her during her recovery from the ACL.
“There have been so many people who have supported me through the whole process, with each of them playing a key part. A couple of people that really stand out is Ruby Mace and Ruby Gaitely who endured some of the early starts – including 8am in the morning – but they made every little win feel much bigger throughout my recovery.
“Also, I want to give a shout out to Kit and Ella who have been great role models, offering support and encouragement throughout.”
Head Coach Sabiha Jamal said: "We’re really proud of Evie’s commitment, dedication and mentality to return to play. The medical and performance staff have gone above and beyond to get her back in good shape. I’m excited to see more and more of her as we build her back up to full match fitness."
Great to see you back out there, Evie!