Just four minutes into Ellie Brazil’s debut for Charlton, the moment arrived. It was a simple tap-in from inside the six-yard box, but the significance transcended the simplicity of the goal. Brazil exuberantly celebrated, thrusting her arms by her side and jumping with joy. This was more than just a routine goal; it was the former England youth international’s first competitive goal in over five years, achieved after battling back from not one, but two anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
Brazil had faced the harrowing misfortune of sustaining separate injuries in each leg, first while playing for Brighton in November 2019, and then with Tottenham in October 2022. Despite these setbacks, she maintains an incredibly positive outlook. Reflecting on her search for a new club last summer, the 25-year-old shared, “I carried a stigma in my mind: ‘Ellie’s had two ACLs, she hasn’t played in years.’ It was incredibly challenging to find a club that truly believed in me and made me feel wanted. There were only a few clubs that showed interest. After conversations with several, Charlton stood out. The feedback from the girls here was overwhelmingly positive.”
Charlton’s faith in Brazil has been richly rewarded, with the forward scoring three goals in her first two games. This impressive start has helped last season’s Championship runners-up secure four wins in their opening seven games, positioning them just two points behind league leaders, Birmingham. “I’m deeply grateful to Charlton for giving me the opportunity to play and regain my confidence. Neither of my ACL injuries had resulted in a goal before, so this was a first for both. It was an incredible feeling,” Brazil remarked.
Brazil’s last goal before her long hiatus came in Brighton’s 4-0 victory over West Ham in the Women’s Super League in May 2019. The daughter of former Fulham, Newcastle, and Preston forward Gary Brazil, she was part of the England youth setup from a young age and played for Fiorentina before joining Brighton. Speaking about her knee injuries, she said, “With my first ACL, I was in pain but continued playing because I didn’t understand what an ACL was. I didn’t know what those three letters meant at the time. I lasted a minute longer, changed direction, and couldn’t continue.”
“The second injury, knowing what I had gone through, brought a lot more fear and panic. I hit the ground with instant dread, fearing the same cycle would repeat. But I’m forever grateful to Tottenham and their medical team. They’ve become lifelong friends. I’ll always support the Spurs girls. It wasn’t an easy journey, it tested my resilience and my love for the game. Now, I have more passion for it than ever, knowing how it feels to be on the sidelines.”
Brazil also empathizes deeply with others undergoing rehabilitation. She witnessed her teammate Mia Ross sustain an ACL injury in September and said, “Seeing her go through it was very emotional because I knew what lay ahead. This season, my role will be to support her in any way I can, whether it’s making her laugh, having a coffee, or brightening her day, because it can get very gloomy.”
ACL injuries have long plagued the women’s game and have garnered significant attention in recent seasons, with more players calling for further research. On Thursday, Leicester striker Noémie Mouchon’s ACL injury was confirmed by the WSL club. While discussions continue on why women are statistically more prone to this injury, Brazil remains pragmatic, stating, “We don’t have the answers yet. The ongoing research is excellent, and hopefully, one day we’ll find the answer. Right now, we don’t know. People speculate, but you’ll never know for sure. I try not to blame myself for potential contributing factors or stress in my life, as I’ll never know the exact cause.”
Fortunately, Brazil is focused on the future with Charlton. They narrowly missed out on promotion last season, a factor that motivated her move to Karen Hills’ team: “The fact they lost by one point last year, they have that burning desire. I wanted to be part of that. I like that ambition.” That drive was evident in Charlton’s recent league game, a 3-3 draw at Newcastle, where they scored twice in stoppage time, with Brazil providing the assist for the 95th-minute equalizer. “We have a mentality and a desire to fight until the final whistle. It’s a testament to the management for instilling that in us during training. But we’re also aware that we can’t keep performing poorly in the first half if we want to succeed in this league.”
“This season, we aim to be in contention for the league title by the time we return from the winter break in January. We want to be in the mix so we can hit the second half of the season hard and see what we can achieve.”
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