With her medical background, Kate Mooney came back quicker than most after suffering an ACL injury last year.
But what the student nurse based in Beaumont hadn't counted on was that while her body was ready for action again, her mind really wasn't.
Mooney, 23, returned to training nine months after the injury occurred so innocuously in April 2021 - she jumped and twisted her knee on landing during only her second game for DLR Waves last season.
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As Mooney discovered during "the hardest year" of her life, that was statistically earlier than most women footballers - she had seen former Shelbourne team-mates miss between 15 months and two years of action.
Niamh McLaughlin was a Shels colleague as well as a physio, and she knew Dan Withers, a knee surgeon who worked under expert in the field Ray Moran at Santry Clinic.
"I was lucky," said Mooney. "I had a straight ACL injury with no other complications. It was during Covid time as well, so the surgery was done quickly."
Her studies suffered as she was due to go on an eight week placement in Temple Street - she had to do it this summer instead, in her final year.
Sitting at home, she missed college and football, though her daily rehab gave her plenty to do.
"The medical background helped because I knew exactly what to do," she said.
But playing matches again was a tough prospect three months after she was back training.
"It has taken me until now to get back to the best football I've played," Mooney explained.
"Mentally, I found it hard to come back. It was the fear that it would happen again and I wasn't really putting myself into tackles, I wasn't being brave and trusting my body.
"There was a fear that I wouldn't be the player I was before. I knew it would take some time, but I didn't realise it would take that long."
In fact it took two months for Mooney to feel fully comfortable on the pitch again.
"I went into a tackle then and realised I could handle this," she said.
"I know the knee is stronger now than it was - I think I went into five tackles in quick succession once that clicked.
"I'm very happy to be back scoring goals. Obviously I want to get a lot more this season but for me, really, this one is about getting back to myself."
Mooney moved to DLR after 10 years with Shels, initially turning down a move in a last bid to fully establish herself in the Reds team, which she eventually felt wasn't going to happen.
"Graham (Kelly) rang me again and thank God he did," she smiled.
"I wanted to see what type of player I'd be if I could play regularly and it boosted my confidence to do so."
Like herself, she feels that DLR are finding their groove now and Mooney believes a strong Cup run is on the agenda.
"I feel we could go on and win it, definitely," she predicted. "We have real strength in depth in this squad."
DLR begin their challenge against Treaty United, who suffered a 10-0 hammering at the hands of WNL champions Shels last weekend.
"Look, it's a Cup game and they're going to give it everything, they know anything can happen in the Cup so we have to be ready," stressed Mooney.
First round draw
Saturday, July 9th
Bohemians v Galway WFC, Dalymount Park, KO 6pm
DLR Waves v Treaty United, UCD Bowl, KO 4pm
Peamount United v Finglas United, PRL Park, KO 5pm
Sligo Rovers v Douglas Hall, The Showgrounds, KO 3pm
Sunday, July 10th
Cork City v Bonagee United, Turner's Cross, KO 2pm
Whitehall Rangers v Athlone Town, Paddy Mahony Park, KO 2pm
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