Milton Keynes' home-grown football champ Leah Williamson discusses her injury for the first time as she takes on new role - with Dyson

Milton Keynes’ own football sensation and Lioness captain, Leah Williamson, has been appointed as an ambassador for Dyson.

The leader in cutting-edge technology has collaborated with the England and Arsenal player to create a short film which puts Dyson’s first step into audio, the Dyson Zone™ headphones with air purification, at the centre of Leah’s recovery story.

And in the film, Leah discusses her injury and her recovery programme publicly for the first time.

She describes how she damaged her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her knee in April.

"I went in for a normal tackle and the universe said no...The road to recovery is long.”

Music has played a massive factor in Leah’s football career and now she whiles away hours of physio listening to it.

"Music and my recovery go hand in hand,” she said. "Whether it’s in the gym or getting ready for a game, I always have a playlist ready to go.

"Joining forces with Dyson as their ambassador for the Dyson Zone™️ headphones has given me the escapism I need from the world and allowed me to zone into my rehabilitation. Similarly, as athletes we’re always on the move and air pollution is a global problem, so having the ability to have on the go purification whenever I need it is great.”

“It feels good to share my story and look towards the future with the support of Dyson. The journey to recovery is all about mindset and it’s the challenges like these that make us the players we ultimately become on the pitch.”

Dyson, known for pushing the boundaries of innovation, has partnered with Leah as their ambassador following her exceptional performance last summer, where she captained the England team to victory at the UEFA Women’s Euro’s.

Her tenacity and captivating sportsmanship off and on the pitch remains inspiring, values which Dyson parallels.

The company says Leah’s remarkable ongoing journey of overcoming her injury bears a striking resemblance to James Dyson’s tenacious pursuit in creating the ground-breaking DC01 vacuum cleaner, both exemplifying unwavering determination and innovative spirit in the face of challenges and adversity – constantly dissatisfied and driven to improve performance.

The new film highlights her desire to block out the public noise surrounding her injury and zone into herself to focus on the motivation she needs for rehabilitation.

Leah describes the thrill of winning the Euro’s and the range of emotions that she experienced in that moment on the public stage, but how she immediately switched her focus to her next challenge, the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

However, on April 19, during a league game against Manchester United, Leah ruptured her ACL. She candidly recounts how she immediately knew that her World Cup dream was over and how she always thought she would retire if she experienced and injury of this magnitude, but she quickly pivoted her mindset to drive her recovery back to the pitch.

Throughout the documentary, she discusses the profound impact music has had on her life, both personally and professionally, emphasising its pivotal role in her healing process.

Unable to play in the current World Cup tournament, Williamson highlights how she will be there supporting the Lionesses from the side lines and crucially supplying the locker room playlist.