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SOPHIE INGLE recounts her journey back to fitness following a knee injury prior to Wales’ Euros debut, calling it “challenging but rewarding”.
The former Chelsea midfielder has motivated her teammates to give their best against the Netherlands, France, and England during the tournament’s group stage.
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The 33-year-old midfielder shared her thoughts at Cardiff Airport just before flying to Portugal with her Wales teammates for their pre-Euros training camp.
The squad is scheduled for warm-weather training this week in preparation for the potentially humid conditions in Switzerland, where this year’s tournament will be hosted.
Last Friday, the former Chelsea player was included in Rhian Wilkinson’s squad for the tournament, with the manager revealing her 23-player roster from the summit of Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon.
Ingle’s selection follows her recovery from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament sustained last September.
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The five-time WSL title holder suffered her injury during a pre-season match against the Dutch club Feyenoord.
This injury kept the midfielder, who has earned 141 caps for her national team, off the field for the entirety of the last season with both her club and national squad.
When asked about her motivation related to being fit for the Euros, Ingle told Sky Sports: “It’s been a challenging eight to nine months during rehab.
“But having this as my goal really pushed me to work hard every day in the gym on my own.
“It was tough, but being close to realizing it is what matters most.”
Wales made history by qualifying for this year’s Euros when Wilkinson’s squad defeated the Republic of Ireland 2-0 in the deciding match last December.
Ingle shared: “As soon as the girls qualified in December, I contacted my club physio and asked, ‘is it feasible for me? The timeline is tight.’
“He said that we should give it our all, and that’s exactly what we did.”
Wales faces a tough group this year, competing against reigning champions England, 2017 victors the Netherlands, and France.
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While Ingle sees her team as underdogs, she is confident in their ability to perform well in the tournament.
She remarked: “We can achieve anything we set our sights on. We are often viewed as underdogs.
“We might not be expected to win these matches, but let’s face these three challengers in the group stage and give it our all against formidable opponents.”
