A leg break like a gunshot wound - Smyth's 26-month remarkable road to recovery

Ali Smyth in action for Northern Ireland a month before breaking her leg

"The surgeon came in five days after the game and said: 'You have to realise the extent of this injury, you are never going to play again.' That was the first time I had cried."

In July 2018, Northern Ireland and Linfield forward Ali Smyth was stretchered off in a Women's Premiership match against Sion Swifts after sustaining a horrific double leg break and meniscus injury.

At just 29, it looked like the end of her career.

"I had broken my right leg when I was young so I knew the pain, but this was completely different," said Smyth, who has won over 20 international caps.

"It was excruciating. Female players often talk about doing their cruciate, so that's what I thought the pain was."

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Upon arriving at Altnagelvin Hospital it was soon evident it was more serious than she had feared.

"I had diagnosed myself and convinced it was an ACL," she said.

"I've spent a lot of time in hospitals with different injuries so I knew when they rushed me straight into X-ray that something wasn't right.

"The doctor said the last time he had seen a leg break this bad was when someone had come in with a gunshot wound.

"They had been kneecapped and he said my leg was just as bad - it was in pieces."

'My life revolves around football'

Despite the serious nature of her injury, Smyth said she wasn't willing to accept that her career was over.

"I'd made my mind up - if I was going to retire I wanted to do it on my own terms," she said.

But she faced a long road to recovery. She spent six months in a wheelchair and a further three months on crutches. It was a full year before she had completed the operations required to heal her leg.

"The first year was really difficult and I struggled to rely on other people," added Smyth.

"I was learning to accept I may never play again, or it would be a long way off if I ever did get there. It was tough.

"My life revolves around football. I was thinking I don't know what I was going to do."

Smyth remained involved with Linfield's title-winning squad throughout her recovery

Smyth's surgery entailed getting metal plates put into her left leg and she had her cartilage removed.

"I remember going to the park with my nephews about 14 months after my injury and they wanted to play football," she added.

"I couldn't jog or stretch to get the ball. I was thinking I would never be able to play football in the back garden again, never mind playing competitively.

"Doubts had started to creep in and there were dark days. You have to be mentally sure in yourself to do everything you can to make it work. You just have to keep going.

"December of last year was the first time I ran unaided. It was pretty pathetic but my physio said you'll hit a point then you will just fly - but you have to get to that point.

"Being able to pass the ball in January was major moment. Lockdown didn't come at a great time for me but it spurred me on."

Defying the odds

After a long 26 months and a lot of hard work, Smyth returned to action for Linfield on a wet September night against Belfast rivals Glentoran.

"We lost but I had a huge smile on my face because I was back," she recalls.

More bad luck followed when Smyth had to self-isolate after being deemed a close contact to a Covid case, but the 31-year-old has is now back among the goals.

Smyth has won over 20 Northern Ireland caps

A cameo in the Champions League against Anderlecht followed, before she hit the winner against title rivals Crusaders Strikers.

Her latest goal was an equaliser against Sion Swifts. It was almost written in the stars, with the strike coming near the spot on the ground where she sustained her career-threatening injury.

"I'm not the sort of person who dwells on things too much. For me it was just another game, just another pitch," she said.

"People reminded me afterwards that where I had lay that night I broke my leg that was where I scored from.

"I'm just taking each game as it comes and I'm thankful to play no matter where it is or who it is against."

Before two massive Euro 2021 qualifiers for Northern Ireland, Smyth says she is not thinking about a return to the international set-up.

Kenny Shiels' side know victory over Belarus and the Faroe Islands will secure a play-off spot for the first time in their history.

"The buzz seems to be there and everyone has bought into what Kenny is trying to do," she said.

"It would be unbelievable if they could qualify and it could provide a massive lift for everyone.

"If they make the play-off and there are so many kids coming through, why can't they keep qualifying for big tournaments?"