Football has an ability to provide some of our greatest experiences, but equally it can inflict some of the worst. Becoming the victim of long-term injury is something all athletes dread. It is a physical and mental battle to overcome several hurdles which line the road to recovery.
Leyton Orient Women’s midfielder Lydia Cooper suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in an FA Cup game against Tottenham Hotspur in December 2016. In an exclusive interview with Rising East, the 30-year old spoke openly about the highs and lows of the journey back to fitness and her ambitions for the future.
Before training on a cold February evening, Cooper recalled what happened on the day of her injury:
“It started off as such a good day, I had a lot of family come to watch me play. Unfortunately, fifteen minutes into the game, I got the wrong side of the girl running down the wing and stuck my leg out to tackle and immediately felt something in my knee. As much as I knew I think I’d done something, because it was such a big game, and everyone was watching I thought I’ve got to try and carry on.
“At that point I knew I’d done something, but I didn’t realise how serious it was. The physio came round, put some tape on it, and I hobbled back onto the pitch and jogged around for another five minutes or so. I kicked the ball a couple of times and then no-one was anywhere near me, I put my right leg down and it just collapsed.”
Initially, tests suggested a four to six-week absence. However, an informal kick about with team mates in January 2017 saw the injury rear its head once more leading to the belief that this was something more serious. Cooper described her emotions upon receiving the official diagnosis:
“It was only then that I went back to physio, got referred for MRI’s and still then they didn’t think it was my ACL. All this time I kept getting told it’s not going to be long, so it didn’t really hit me until I got the results from the scan. I remember just sitting in the doctors reading it, I couldn’t believe how I had been doing all the training, running and going to the gym.
“How could I have done all that with a ruptured ACL and not had any idea? It was worse not knowing what I’d done, but when I found out what it was it almost made it easier to deal with.”
The Road to Recovery
After the relief of the diagnosis, the aim was to ensure she was in the best possible condition before the operation. Cooper discussed what this process involved:
“I was having physio leading up to that, it was about the prehab, they said the stronger you are going into the op the quicker and easier the recovery will be. It was just the gym work, making sure my quads and hamstrings were as strong as they could be. I didn’t have any instability in the knee, I could run and jump and did come back training for a bit.
“I got as strong as I could before the op, I’d like to think that led into a good rehab period after the op but it’s such a slow process. It is one of those things, you take it week by week, month by month, and follow physio’s guidance.”
It is common for the mental effects of injuries like this to be overlooked. Doubt and hesitation can play tricks and change the way players approach the game. Cooper admitted there will be an element of caution when she returns to action:
“I’d like to think that I will be the same player that I was, but I do think it’s going to take a bit of time, to build up the confidence again to go flying into challenges. I think in the beginning I will be cautious, it’s going to take a while to get fully match fit again. I train in the gym but there is no substitute for match fitness and that will only come with playing. I’d like to think I will get to where I was and maybe push on and become a better player.”
A spell on the sidelines knowing playing is out of the question can be mentally frustrating. Having been forced out of the game she loves, Cooper talked honestly about her mental struggles and what she looks forward to most about returning to action:
“I’m just really looking forward to getting back and having that buzz of playing. Football has always been my passion, it’s what I’ve lived for, there’s times I’ve learnt to cope with not playing but at the beginning it was really tough. For months I felt lost, I didn’t know what to do, football was what I did and when I knew that I couldn’t do that for such a long period of time I struggled for a while mentally, but you learn to deal with it and you have to accept it.
I love match days. Sundays always used to be all about the football. I used to love that feeling of waking up knowing I had a game, the buzz of getting ready, getting to the game, that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Thinking About the Good Times Ahead
It is important for people who are going through the recovery process to share their experiences with others in similar situations. Cooper gave some advice for those who find themselves in her position:
“You can’t look too far ahead. In the beginning, I was setting targets and there was always protocol where you should be at what week in your recovery. I was always like well can I do better, but then physios reminded me it’s not a process that you can rush. You’re not supposed to run for 12 weeks to allow the new ligaments to properly form, and if you do something you’re not supposed to you’re at risk of damaging it and you’re back to square one. It is accepting that you can’t speed up that recovery process, it’s such an invasive procedure.”
With training almost underway, Cooper’s happiness and optimism shone through as she revealed her ambitions for the future:
“I never want to go through this again. It’s been long, it’s been horrible, and it’s been really tough at times, but I’ve come out the other end and I’d like to think I’m stronger for it, mentally and physically. I’ll get back playing and hopefully have a long, successful career with Orient. I’m positive about the future and positive about playing again.”
