03 November 2023 , 11:52
1165
0
England striker Beth Mead has recalled sitting in bed with her Arsenal team-mate and partner Vivianne Miedema, the latter wearing a knee brace as the former prepared for surgery, wondering how it all went so wrong.
Last season, the Gunners duo suffered respective anterior cruciate ligament injuries within a month of each other, tacking their names to an ever-swelling list of elite-level women's footballers to succumb to the injury.
The pair became the first Arsenal stars to form the club's eventual so-called 'ACL club', with England captain Leah Williamson joining them in April, along with defender Laura Wienroither in May.
Mead went down in the final minutes of a defeat to title rivals Manchester United in November. The 28-year-old described the initial sensation at the Emirates Stadium as little more than a knock, innocuous and even ordinary at the tail end of a fierce match.
"I knew I hadn't felt that in my knee before, it was like someone had hit it with a hammer," she told BBC's Football Focus. "It hurt for a minute but then it settled down, I was able to walk off.
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness
"I could have easily come back on thinking it was OK. Luckily I had already been subbed otherwise I would have done irreparable damage. But I soon knew something wasn't right, that's why I got upset walking to the tunnel. The scan confirmed the worst."
Mead was at the peak of powers, having been named England's top scorer in the triumphant Euro 2022 tournament on home soil. Mead was crowned the player of the tournament and finished runner-up for the 2021-22 Ballon d'Or Feminin behind Spain and Barcelona star Alexia Putellas.
But she faced a race against time to recover, with just eight months to find fitness ahead of the Women's World Cup. The likelihood was low, given ACL injuries generally require a 10-month recovery period.
Beth Mead ruptured her ACL in the WSL loss to Manchester United during the 2022-23 season (2022 Getty Images)Less than four weeks later, Mead watched from the stands as partner Miedema was stretchered off in a Champions League group stage match against Lyon. The Netherlands international and all-time WSL top scorer became the latest star to sustain the injury.
"I would never wish it on anyone, it is not a nice injury, mentally and physically it is gruelling," Mead said. "Viv doesn't stay on the ground very long. I came down on my crutches, I'd seen her and said 'surely not?'
"She said 'everything you explained when you did yours, I felt'. We were laying in bed that night, Viv had her brace on and I was prepping for surgery. I looked at both our knees and said 'I don't know what we've done to deserve this'."
Mead said the recovery process, while devastating, was succoured by the pair going through the process together.
Vivianne Miedema returned for the first time since sustaining her injury in the win over Bristol City (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)"We were very fortunate we didn't kill each other," quipped Mead. "We were competitive in testing, who is doing better. It pushed us to get back quicker. But it has not been without its arguments and ups and downs."
The Lionesses star also acknowledged the efforts of her Arsenal team-mates to keep spirits high. Australia international Steph Catley visited the pair when they were both immobile while Kim Little came round to cook.
"The girls were devastated when I did mine, then Viv did hers, then Leah and Laura a few months later. We had an ACL pandemic," said Mead.
Bird charity banned from Twitter for repeatedly posting woodcock photos
Beth Mead returned to the pitch for Arsenal and helped secure a last-gasp victory over Aston Villa (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)Despite positive reports of Mead's recovery, the goalscorer was not called into Sarina Wiegman's World Cup squad and was forced to watch from the stands as the team reached an historic final before losing 1-0 to winners Spain.
The forced absence from the major tournament hung heavy on Mead, but she described how her efforts to return to fitness ahead of the new WSL season with Arsenal were supercharged by the disappointment. After 11 months out, Mead made her long-awaited return as she stepped onto the pitch against Aston Villa in October at the Emirates Stadium.
The full-circle experience was poignant as Mead returned to the pitch upon which she'd suffered the injury. Mead, however, upped the ante as she supplied the last-gasp assist for Alessia Russo's 94th-minute winner in the comeback victory.
Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema of Arsenal embrace after the win against Bristol City (2023 The Arsenal Football Club Plc)"The reception I got when I came on gave me goosebumps. The emotion came out after the game," said Mead. "I couldn't even look at the ACL club. They saw the hard work I put in.
"If I turned around to them or the physios I would have probably got quite upset so I tried to avoid that. I said 'you'll know when you come back yourself'.
"My dad was also at the game, it was nice considering the rough times we have been through. My mum and dad were the reason why I started playing so it was nice for him to see me doing what I love.
"Me being me, I've always tried to stay positive," added Mead. "It's a trait my mum has given me."
Miedema too returned to competitive action as she was a late substitute against Bristol City just before the international break. The Dutch star very nearly teed up her partner Mead with one of her first touches, sending the away crowd into fits of emotion at the prospect of another fairy tale return for a beloved player.
City's defenders denied the Gunners of the moment, but the message was clear: Mead and Miedema are on the brink of a full return and the pair are not planning on doing so quietly.