Hinck
73
I now need to look for 90 minutes in the next three games. I’m raring to go halfway through a really positive season
A
fter 15 months recovering from injury, I
When we returned to training I was,
am finally ready to make my return for
thankfully, able to start running again. That
Crystal Palace.
meant I could see the team and, while I
I injured my ACL, MCL and meniscus in
a game against Lewes in September 2019
couldn’t train with them, they were really supportive of me.
and was unable to get surgery until February
We had a huge squad overhaul in the
2020. Then, of course, after just a few weeks
summer and it was tough being unable to
at the start of my rehab, the country was
work with the new girls but, when they
placed into lockdown.
saw me starting to run, starting to change
At first it wasn’t so bad. We thought the pandemic would affect us for three or four weeks and, at that point, I’d only recently had
direction and finally playing with a ball, they were really encouraging. Now, I feel really fit, fitter than I have done
my operation and couldn’t do much anyway.
for a long time. I was in contention to make the
But when it dragged on as long as it did, my
Charlton game at the end of December but that
rehab was knocked back quite a bit.
was postponed and I now need to look for 90
I was in a brace for the first six weeks and then had to learn to walk again with no
minutes in the next three games. I’m raring to go halfway through a really positive season.
in-person contact from February until July.
We’re scoring so many more goals
I was doing Zoom calls with my physio for
and have a really good squad with so much
four months but she wasn’t able to physically
competition for places. It’s really exciting; any
assess my knee. That meant I couldn’t
successful team has competition and rivalry.
properly tell if I was on course to recovery
If you’ve got that competition for places, every
or not.
single training session is important to turn up
I must say, my physio Laila was amazing in the support she gave me despite the circumstances and, personaly, I couldn’t feel
to and compete at your maximum. I’m looking forward to working to get back in. This is only our third season in the
sorry for myself. I just had to do what I could
Women’s Championship and, given where we
and not dwell on the situation too much. I
were when we first joined, we’re really moving
stayed as positive as I could and tackled every
in the right direction. I’m excited to be a part of
day and week as it came.
that again.
ashlee hincks