Women's Super League record goalscorer Vivian Miedema says she may be even better than the old me after scoring her first goal since tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Miedema scored his first goal for Arsenal after an 11-month absence and not scoring since December 2022. 2-0 victory over Liverpool on sunday.
She said she felt “scared” to return after her recovery.
Miedema Returned to Japan in October But she only made her first start last weekend.
“It was a pretty tough situation,” the Dutch forward told Sky Sports. “I had a few setbacks before I recovered.
“You want to come back and help the team and get back as soon as possible. My mindset changed over the winter break and I feel like I've become more of myself since then.”
Miedema, 27, spent long periods on the sidelines and missed last summer's World Cup.
Sunday's goal was Arsenal's 79th league goal, the highest by a player in the division's history.
The match was Miedema's fifth league game of the season, but he had played just 34 minutes in three games before starting in last weekend's win over Everton.
She previously described her recovery as an “emotional and physical rollercoaster” and said it “means a lot” to score again for the Gunners after a 413-day wait.
“Some players come back from injury and don't think too much about it, but I did,” Miedema added.
“I was scared to come back. I feel like I'm back to my old self. Maybe even better than I was. It's good that I don't think about my knee anymore.”
Arsenal are three points behind league leaders Chelsea and the return of one of the game's best strikers will be an advantage in their bid to corner their London rivals.
Manager Jonas Eidewall said: “There are different stages to returning to play. One is being physically ready to step on the pitch for the first time, but that doesn't mean you're ready to make a decision. ” he said. It takes a little more time to gain confidence in your technique. ”
