{"id":295085,"date":"2023-10-04T16:25:44","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T16:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=295085"},"modified":"2023-10-04T16:25:44","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T16:25:44","slug":"england-defender-leah-williamson-cannot-wait-to-get-back-playing-after-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/soccer\/england-defender-leah-williamson-cannot-wait-to-get-back-playing-after-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"England defender Leah Williamson cannot wait to get back playing after injury"},"content":{"rendered":"
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England and Arsenal defender Leah Williamson has said she \u201cis more focused than ever to be back on the pitch\u201d after being made an OBE at Windsor Castle.<\/p>\n
Williamson was forced to miss this summer\u2019s World Cup, where the Lionesses finished runners-up, after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in April.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old, who captained the Lionesses to the European Championship title last summer,\u00a0told the PA news agency: \u201cI\u2019ve made some good steps. I\u2019m running again now. We are in a great place.<\/p>\n
\u201cDays like today I can celebrate them properly with my family but I am more focused than ever to be back on the pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williamson said she could feel like \u201ca new signing for my team\u201d when she returns from injury.<\/p>\n
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She said she had \u201ca bit of a catch up\u201d with the Prince of Wales after recently seeing him at a United Nations summit in New York.<\/p>\n
Williamson became the first England women\u2019s footballer to address the United Nations when she spoke at the Sustainability Development Goals Summit.<\/p>\n
She said she has spoken to the Prince recently about making \u201cmy game grow\u201d and how the women\u2019s game can be integrated with men\u2019s football.<\/p>\n
When asked about speaking at the United Nations summit, she said: \u201cWe have made so much impact on the pitch and it\u2019s obviously important we do that off the pitch as well.<\/p>\n
I’ve made some good steps. I’m running again now. We are in a great place. Days like today I can celebrate them properly with my family but I am more focused than ever to be back on the pitch<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were a lot of things I\u2019d spoken to people about and that I really wanted to give my time to and I\u2019ve been able to do that while I\u2019ve been injured.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not my preferred choice, I\u2019d love to have shin pads and boots on on the pitch but while I\u2019m not out (there) I want to still try and have an impact and do what we do just in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williamson said she hopes women\u2019s football \u201ccontinues to shift\u201d and there are more games at big stadiums so \u201cwe have a chance to prove that the game belongs there\u201d.<\/p>\n
But she warned women\u2019s footballers are \u201crunning ourselves into the ground to try and compete\u201d because of a busy schedule.<\/p>\n
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She said: \u201cI think everybody wants to protect their bit of the game but ultimately something has to give in the end and I had team-mates this year that after a World Cup final had five days off.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not acceptable. It\u2019s not favourable to the players, and ultimately, we\u2019re the only ones that lose out. It\u2019s our bodies on the line.\u201d<\/p>\n