Injury that is blighting women’s football CRUCIAL WE STOP THE PAIN
EXCLUSIVE Star Nobbs: We need more knee research
JORDAN NOBBS is getting behind an inquiry into careerthreatening knee injuries.
The Arsenal and England midfielder has confirmed she would be happy to help with research that might shine additional light on problems that are currently blighting the women’s game.
The 27-year-old, who signed a new long-term deal with the Gunners this week, was expected to become a global superstar at last year’s World Cup, until she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament.
That kept her to a watching brief from the sidelines – a frustration that was compounded when the coronavirus brought an end to this year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Experience
It was announced this week that the Football Association are now undertaking studies on the problem after it was revealed that women are eight times more likely to suffer knee injuries than men.
And Nobbs says if reliving her own backstory can help she is happy to share her experience.
A string of England stars, including skipper Steph Houghton,
midfielder Lucy Staniforth (twice) and striker Ellen White, have all missed chunks of their careers due to serious knee issues, as has Ballon d’or winner Ada Hegerberg.
Nobbs said: “If I can help by sharing my experiences, I’d be happy to.
“Any scientists who can piece together why women appear to be so vulnerable to this and why there have been so many in the women’s game then I would certainly like to help.
“Personally, it was a difficult time for me. If I could be a part of decreasing it by sharing how it happened to me, how it felt, the training plan I had and how I recovered from it, then I would always want to do it, to look after young players coming through and the girls following them.
Injuries
“To be honest, I didn’t realise the problems with ACL injuries in the women’s game. When you have had an injury like that, you tend to listen out for it when other people go through what you have.
“Hopefully, with research other players might return more quickly or we might be able to decrease the number of players suffering from it.
“I’m not a scientist but further research definitely could help. We already do pre-active warm-up, aimed at reducing or preventing injuries. Would there be a specific exercise to strengthen the knee?
“I don’t know, but it’s something they could look into and, with the intensity of the game increasing, it is more likely these injuries will occur.
“Of course, there are already a lot of players who have done it and come back to be world class. There is a positive to it, but it would be better if we didn’t have to talk about so many serious injuries.”
Nobbs tore her own ligament in November 2018 and ended up being out for almost a year. She admits that it has taken a while for her to get back up to speed.
She said: “The last few games before the lockdown I did feel in a much better place. I’m still not back to my best and you need regular games to regain that sharpness. When you are out for 10 months it’s very hard to get back to your best within a minute.
“People have said it will take one year to get back to my best, but I’ve had no niggles and no problems. It’s a waiting game. I’ve worked hard to get back, but it’s more mentally that you struggle.
“You need to put it to the back of your mind, especially at the moment when there are other issues to worry about.”
It was popular opinion before the World Cup that Nobbs’ inclusion may have made the difference in France as England progressed to the semi-finals before being edged out by eventual winners USA.
Postponed
But with the European Championships likely to be postponed until 2022, there will be no games in competition until the build-up to the World Cup starts again.
Nobbs added: “It’s still an opportunity for everyone. You cannot relax in any sport because there’s always someone who is eyeing your place.
“With the players Phil Neville brought into the squad, such as Lauren Hemp for example, they have shown real quality.
“After a tournament such as the last World Cup, where it was tough both mentally and physically, you need to refresh. The younger players have a great opportunity to build for a few years.
“It should keep everyone on their toes and force us to remain in great shape.