The Aston Villa goalkeeper had a blood clot on her brain in 2023 and she admitted the medical emergency has made her stop worrying so much about results and instead she focuses on enjoying the game.

She told FourFourTwo magazine: “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.”

Ellie admitted her recovery has been “scary” at times but she’s determined not to “mope”.

Asked the most challenging part of her recovery, she said: “When something is taken away from you and you can’t do anything about it.

“I wasn’t playing, training, doing anything for a good six months – that was really difficult.

“You get in your own head a lot.

“It was scary to go through something so big at such a young age.

“But that’s life and those are the cards you’re dealt.

“It’s about trying not to mope over that and getting on with things.

“There’ll be good and bad days, but the brain is a powerful thing.

“It can also be scary at times, but I’m still learning and on that journey.

“After 18 months, I’m not going to say I’m normal – because what is normal anyway?

“Whether it’s blowing my own trumpet or not, I’m just proud of myself because there were times I doubted that it would ever be possible.”