Tears and broken dreams for Williamson as injury ends World Cup hopes

The dream of leading England to World Cup glory is over for Leah Williamson after she suffered a season-ending knee injury last week.

The Lionesses skipper went down with an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the first-half of Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester United last week, and subsequently missed the Gunners’ 2-2 draw with VfL Wolfsburg in the Champions League semi-final on Sunday.

The 26-year-old from Milton Keynes captained England to their brilliant European Championship victory last July, and was on course to lead her country again, but admitted on Instagram her dream was over.

She wrote: “Unfortunately the World Cup and Champions League dream is over for me and everyone will think that is the main focus, but it’s the day to day of what I am about to go through that is the most draining of my thoughts.

“I had my tears and made my peace with it the night it happened and since then I have been following the steps I’m told to, in order to best help myself in the sport and long term.

“Ultimately I think it’s just my time. In the past couple of years alone, I have watched team-mates beat serious illnesses and adversity with the biggest smiles on their faces. I also hold perspective that globally there are much greater difficulties and therefore my circumstances right now are just that: circumstantial. I’ve seen a lot worse.

“I haven’t had a day since last October when I’ve walked onto the pitch without a physical or mental question mark over me, and that’s professional sports.

“Now I have to listen to my body, give it what it needs and if everything happens for a reason, then we’ll see what road this sends me down.

“I will still be there through thick and thin for my team-mates and will be their biggest supporter.”