Ashleigh returned to London Bees after recovering from a stroke.
Six months ago, former Crystal Palace captain Ashleigh Goddard couldn't walk after she had a stroke.
With the surgery carrying a 5%- 10% chance of a stroke, Goddard woke up paralyzed on her left side, describing it as the worst thing that could happen other than dying.
She signed for London Bees after six months of walking again.
She told the radio station that it was her proudest achievement.
I didn't know if I would ever be able to play football again. I remember texting my friend five days after my stroke that I think I can play again, but I couldn't walk.
The winner of Sky TV's Wayne Rooney's Street Striker was 17 years old, and he represented England at under 17 level.
She returned to England to play semi-professionally for the London Bees, before moving to Cyprus and then to Denmark to play for the Danes.
Crystal Palace's Ashleigh Goddard left in May 2021.
An incident happened when Palace played London City in the Women's Championship in November.
I was unconscious for a few seconds after she hit me in the back of the head or neck with her forearm while I was trying to get the ball.
She had a small headaches after the concussion and had it checked out in January 2020.
She had a brain arteriovenous malformation, which is a tangle of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins, despite the fact that the scans showed no lasting effects of the knock to her head.
She wasn't too concerned by the results of the March scans. She didn't realize the seriousness of the situation until she had a hospital appointment in September, when she was told the AVM had caused a brain aneurysm.
She said that they said it would burst in her lifetime.
They couldn't say if it would be tomorrow or 20 years, but I needed treatment. They said that it would cause a life-changing disability.
It was a condition she could have had from birth, but in many people an AVM doesn't cause any symptoms unless it breaks and causes bleeding.
The news is similar to what you see in the movies, according to Goddard.
She said that they said it could be fatal. I couldn't hear them. I was shocked. I'm an athlete and the possibility of not being able to move was frightening.
She played for Palace but left the club in May because she was going to have an operation in July 2021.
The surgery to suppress the aneurysm would have been a success, but the unthinkable happened and Goddard had a stroke.
She said that she was paralyzed when she woke up.
I couldn't do basic movements, my face dropped, and I couldn't talk. They told me something was wrong but I wouldn't have guessed a stroke. It was the worst thing that could have happened.
She was determined despite being told she wouldn't get her movement back.
She said that she never thought she wouldn't.
I owe a lot to the nurses, they told me that I had a chance if I did proper rehabilitation. I just thought, 'OK then'.
I had to relearn how to walk, how to use a knife and fork, and how to play football again.
"I did thousands of reps of each pass and touch and eventually things started to get easier."
She praised the London Bees, who gave her a second chance in football, while she was still being treated for the AVM.
She said she reached out to the manager early. They let me train and push myself as far as I can. They've been great.
It will be a big moment when I step out for the first time.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
