“One of my best moments” | Women’s Under-21s midfielder Mace on comeback | OneFootball

Women’s Under-21s player Ruby Mace reflected on the moment she returned to action following a 10-month injury lay-off.

The young midfielder featured as a second-half substitute in our Under-21s trip to Durham last month in the Professional Game Academy League Plate, completing nearly 45 minutes on her return as Nick Hardy’s side suffered defeat in extra-time.

It was her first appearance for the Under-21s since last February and, following that cameo against the Wildcats, Ruby also completed a further 45 minutes in Wednesday’s fixture against Leicester City.

Now, back fit and earning minutes for the first time this season, the energetic midfielder says that her comeback has made her mentally stronger and praised the support around her to achieve that return.

“It didn’t feel real when I stepped onto the pitch… it was just really good,” Ruby beamed.

“For how I described that moment to anyone I have spoken to, it was one of my best moments in my career so far because it has kind of proved to me that I can overcome anything and it has made me a lot mentally stronger.

“I think, for me, it felt like more of a team effort than just mine. The coaches, my team-mates and everyone around me have been so helpful to make sure I did it properly and I was also mentally okay during the process. It felt like it was everyone’s achievement, not just mine.”

Next up for the Under-21s is the second round of the Capital Women’s Cup on Sunday as we travel to FA Women’s National League Division One South East side Queens Park Rangers, kicking off at 2pm at SkyEx Community Stadium.

We progressed to this stage of the competition after a 2-1 win over Millwall back in November and Ruby is relishing another opportunity of facing a senior side.

“It will be a good test in terms of their strength which, from what I have spoken to the girls after we played Millwall, was one of the biggest differences from the teams we usually face.

“But it will be a really good opportunity for us to show our technical skills, while also show our willingness to compete,” she added.

Gallery | Preparing for the trip to QPR