With 16 goals and 14 assists to her name, Kelly had enjoyed a phenomenal debut campaign at the Academy Stadium in 2020/21, scooping the Club’s Player of the Season award for her exploits.
However, her season was sadly cut short on 2 May 2021 when she suffered an injury to her ACL in our home victory over Birmingham City.
After 11 months of painstaking recovery, Kelly is back to her best once again and grabbed her first goal since returning to the fold in our FA Cup semi-final triumph over West Ham in April 2022.
In the video above, the winger provides a fascinating and candid insight into her recovery, including the different stages of her rehabilitation and the mental impact that the injury had on her.
“You’re already doing exercises as soon as you wake up from your surgery and that moment was really difficult for me,” she explains.
“I spent some time with my family back home and at that moment in time I didn’t think I could overcome it.
“I’d just sit there and cry, I was in so much pain and couldn’t actually get out of bed myself, my boyfriend and my mum had to literally lift my leg and place it on the floor.
“You feel worthless, it’s just about having good people around you.”
“I spent a lot of time with Lucy (Bronze) who was dong her rehab at the same time.
“It was a difficult moment (for both of us) but you get each other through.
“I think when you get through that you accept you’re going to have tough days but they shape you for where I am now back on the pitch.”
Hear Chloe’s interview in full via the video above...
