"I Don't Want What Happened to Me to Happen to Anyone Else": A Warning for Female Footballers
Laura Holden's story is a harrowing tale of injury, neglect, and the darker side of women's football. The 30-year-old midfielder ruptured her ACL at just six matches into her first season with Aberdeen in Scotland, an incident that would change the course of her life forever.
Holden's experience highlights the often-overlooked struggles faced by female footballers in their quest for success and well-being. Despite being a key player, Holden felt neglected by the club and its coaching staff, who she believes failed to provide adequate support during her rehabilitation.
"The rehab mentally destroyed me without me even realising it," Holden recalls. "I was so naive to the fact that I was struggling, but when you think about it and strip things back, I was depressed to the point where I didn't know it." This lack of awareness and support contributed significantly to Holden's mental health deterioration.
Furthermore, Holden expresses frustration with Aberdeen's handling of her injury. She claims that after rupturing her ACL, she was asked to join the NHS waiting list for surgery, a decision that would have delayed her recovery by months and potentially impacted her ability to play football again. Instead, Holden opted to pay for the operation herself, a financial burden that weighed heavily on her.
Holden's concerns extend beyond her own experience, as she fears that other female footballers may be going through similar struggles. "I thought I was doing the right thing by not tarring the club with the fact that they wouldn't support one of their women's players," she says, highlighting the need for greater awareness and support.
Aberdeen has refused to comment on Holden's allegations, leaving her feeling frustrated and disillusioned. Despite this, Holden remains determined to share her story and raise awareness about the issues facing female footballers.
"I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else," she says, her words a powerful warning to clubs, coaches, and players alike. It is imperative that we listen to Holden's story and take action to ensure that all female footballers receive the support and care they deserve.
Holden's case highlights the need for greater investment in women's football, including improved training facilities, medical support, and mental health resources. By learning from her experience, clubs and governing bodies can work towards creating a safer, more supportive environment for female players to thrive.
As Holden continues to navigate the challenges of her new club, Swindon Town, she remains committed to speaking out about the issues that affected her career. Her bravery and determination serve as a beacon of hope for other female footballers who may be facing similar struggles.
The story of Laura Holden serves as a stark reminder that women's football is not immune to the darker side of sport. It is essential that we listen, learn from, and address these issues to create a better future for all female players.
Laura Holden's story is a harrowing tale of injury, neglect, and the darker side of women's football. The 30-year-old midfielder ruptured her ACL at just six matches into her first season with Aberdeen in Scotland, an incident that would change the course of her life forever.
Holden's experience highlights the often-overlooked struggles faced by female footballers in their quest for success and well-being. Despite being a key player, Holden felt neglected by the club and its coaching staff, who she believes failed to provide adequate support during her rehabilitation.
"The rehab mentally destroyed me without me even realising it," Holden recalls. "I was so naive to the fact that I was struggling, but when you think about it and strip things back, I was depressed to the point where I didn't know it." This lack of awareness and support contributed significantly to Holden's mental health deterioration.
Furthermore, Holden expresses frustration with Aberdeen's handling of her injury. She claims that after rupturing her ACL, she was asked to join the NHS waiting list for surgery, a decision that would have delayed her recovery by months and potentially impacted her ability to play football again. Instead, Holden opted to pay for the operation herself, a financial burden that weighed heavily on her.
Holden's concerns extend beyond her own experience, as she fears that other female footballers may be going through similar struggles. "I thought I was doing the right thing by not tarring the club with the fact that they wouldn't support one of their women's players," she says, highlighting the need for greater awareness and support.
Aberdeen has refused to comment on Holden's allegations, leaving her feeling frustrated and disillusioned. Despite this, Holden remains determined to share her story and raise awareness about the issues facing female footballers.
"I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else," she says, her words a powerful warning to clubs, coaches, and players alike. It is imperative that we listen to Holden's story and take action to ensure that all female footballers receive the support and care they deserve.
Holden's case highlights the need for greater investment in women's football, including improved training facilities, medical support, and mental health resources. By learning from her experience, clubs and governing bodies can work towards creating a safer, more supportive environment for female players to thrive.
As Holden continues to navigate the challenges of her new club, Swindon Town, she remains committed to speaking out about the issues that affected her career. Her bravery and determination serve as a beacon of hope for other female footballers who may be facing similar struggles.
The story of Laura Holden serves as a stark reminder that women's football is not immune to the darker side of sport. It is essential that we listen, learn from, and address these issues to create a better future for all female players.
. I mean, can you believe she had to pay for her own surgery? That's insane. And it's not just the club that's at fault, it's the whole system. There needs to be more support for these women athletes, especially when it comes to mental health. It's easy to say they're being dramatic or overreacting, but Laura Holden's story is a wake-up call. We need better training facilities, medical staff, and resources in place to help these players cope with the physical and emotional demands of the sport.
can you imagine having to deal with all this alone? like, if it happened to me I'd be totally freaking out. clubs gotta take responsibility for their players and make sure they're getting the support they need, physio, mental health stuff... all that jazz 
. and what's up with being asked to join the NHS waiting list for surgery? are you kidding me?! 
holden's story is super relatable and I'm totally glad she's speaking out about it. we need more people like her who are willing to share their struggles so we can make a change 
how the whole system can fail these amazing athletes like Laura Holden she was already dealing with an injury and still had mental health struggles because of lack of support 
we need to create a more supportive environment for female footballers 
The whole football scene needs to step up its game when it comes to supporting female players 
. I mean, think about it - they're already dealing with the physical toll of playing sports, and then you add mental health neglect on top of that? It's a recipe for disaster 
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. She was basically left to fend for herself during her rehab, and then expected to just 'get over it' 
. Newsflash: mental health isn't something you can just ignore or sweep under the rug 
. That means investing in better medical facilities, mental health resources, and even just having a more open and honest dialogue with players about what they're going through 
. Anything less is just not good enough 
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. We need to do better, and fast 
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. it's like, don't they want to own up to their mistakes and make things right? 
anyway, laura's bravery is truly inspiring 
. she's not just fighting for herself, but for all the other female footballers who might be going through similar struggles 
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. we can't keep ignoring the problems in women's football and expecting things to get better on their own 
. it's time for clubs and governing bodies to take responsibility and make some real changes 
.
it's so sad that Laura Holden had to go through this - she was just trying to pursue her passion for football and ended up feeling neglected & unsupported by her club 
. I'm not surprised she's now speaking out about the importance of mental health support in women's football, because let's be real, it's been a long time coming 
. It's time for us to listen & support our female footballers, both on and off the pitch 
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Female footballers need mental health support ASAP 
This is so sad and unfortunate. Female footballers are under so much pressure and neglect 
. We need to support our female athletes more and make sure they have access to good medical facilities, training, and mental health resources 
you gotta feel bad for this girl laura holden, right? i mean, she was just six matches into her first season and already had to deal with a serious injury, not to mention the mental health struggles that came after. it's like, can't we do better than that?
. It's like they didn't even care about her well-being or her career as a footballer 
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. I'm so proud of her for standing up for herself and others 
i feel like laura holden was totally let down by her club & coaches 
. I hope Laura gets better and speaks out more about this stuff so that other girls don't have to go through the same thing. Female footballers deserve way more support than this, it's not like they're asking for much 
that's like, a life-changing wait 
I'm so glad she paid for it herself but like, shouldn't clubs be paying for their players' surgeries? 
let's make some noise and demand better support for female footballers