AROUND THE GROUNDS

The Lionesses goalkeeper on bouncing back from the stroke that almost ended her career and joy at returning to the WSL with Aston Villa

- Ayisha Gulati

You're back in the WSL after spending last season at Barcelona. What was it about Villa that appealed to you?

It’s such a competitive league and full of talented players, so I’m excited to be competing in that. Being a little closer to home is always nice too. The club’s really ambitious and the project is super exciting. There’s a good mix of senior, experienced players and young players. It was the perfect fit for what I want to achieve and to be part of something that’s on an upward trajectory.

In 2023, you suffered a stroke caused by a blood clot on the brain, aged 24. How has that shaped your life?

Playing football now is more of a gift than anything. I used to hang a lot of my moods on winning or losing a game, but now it’s about enjoying being back on the pitch. It's been a long journey, a long 18 months, but I've learned a lot about myself and now I'm in a position where I just want to crack on, fulfil my potential and push my own boundaries.

What was the most challenging part of that 18-month journey?