Jordan Nobbs has shed plenty of tears after the past few years.
Injuries forced her to miss the 2019 World Cup and Euro 2022, as well as the Olympic Games in 2021 with Great Britain.
Then there was the big decision she made to leave Arsenal in January and join Aston Villa after spending 12 years with the Gunners.
It was a move that brought Nobbs to tears, but one she felt necessary given her lack of playing time at Arsenal.
Ultimately it has paid off and, after years of agony, she made England’s squad for this summer’s Women’s World Cup.
“I’m still waking up now with the butterfly feeling,” says Nobbs. “Everyone dreams of playing in major tournaments.
“Everyone knows the journey I’ve been on so to be part of this one, and such a talented squad, it’s an unbelievable feeling.
“My phone obviously blew up after the call-up. The closest people to the journey you’ve been on.”
Nobbs’ road to now has been a long and painful one. Ahead of the 2019 World Cup, the 30-year-old midfielder suffered a serious knee. Three years later, she was forced to watch from the stands as injuries stopped her being part of the Lionesses’ Euros triumph.
“It’s like learning to walk again when you suffer that kind of injury,” says Nobbs, reflecting on missing out four years ago.
“So I was sat in front of the telly with ice on my leg. You’re not really doing much. I think you do go into a place where you do self-sabotage and sit and mope around for a bit.
“Then, once you’re up and going again, your goal is to get back on that pitch. It’s a difficult time but that feeling of you getting back is what you need. Everyone’s different. There’s ups and downs. Definitely, for me, it took a long time to get that motivation to get going.”
The fire has most certainly been lit in Nobbs now, who has made the England squad for this tournament after an impressive second half of the season at Villa.
“It was a risk to a certain extent but with the limited game-time I was getting, I had nothing to lose as well,” says Nobbs. “Naturally, there were a lot of tears and it was difficult to leave a club that I loved and owe a lot to.
“But when it comes to wanting to drive towards another major tournament, I think I had to do everything possible. As long as I knew I tried my best, I’d have been comfortable with any outcome from that.
“[Aston Villa coach] Carla [Ward] gave me that confidence to go again and allow me to be in the position I am now. She gave me a lot of love, and game time. Sometimes, it’s the small things that allow you to shine on the pitch.”
You don’t realise the support that you get after a serious injury.
While Nobbs is in Australia hunting World Cup glory, her former Arsenal team-mates Beth Mead and Leah Williamson are both out after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligaments in their knees.
That is the injury Nobbs suffered in November 2018 and the midfielder has reached out to Mead and Williamson to offer them support.
“I dropped them a message,” she says. “When you’ve been through it, you know how many messages you get. It’s letting them you know you are there if they need you but also they all need to take different journeys and roads to deal with the situation and come through that. We’re gutted for them.
“You don’t realise the support that you get and you need to keep that kind of people nearby. You forget how many people are going to visit you. After that, you have a goal to get back on the pitch, once you start the rehab process.”
