Fowler: ACL injury’s made me appreciate football more | OneFootball

Mary Fowler says her Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury recovery has helped reinforce her passion for football.

The Australia international, who’s agreed to a contract extension at City, ruptured her ACL during April’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United, bringing an impressive individual season to a halt.

Fowler was the only City player to hit double figures for both goals and assists last season and was also included in the PFA WSL Team of the Year for 2024/25.

But the 22-year-old admits her time away from the pitch has made her both grateful for the career she’s enjoyed so far and excited to see what more she can achieve.

WATCH: Fowler reflects on ‘special’ PFA recognition

She said: “There’s been a few spaces outside of football I wanted to dive into more and getting injured gave me the opportunity to do that.

“In a nice way as well, it’s made me appreciate the football a lot more.

“I’m someone who relies heavily on having that balance, being able to switch off from football, then having football to switch off from everything on the outside.

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“Sometimes it’s such a routine that football feels too much. Getting injured after having a good season, I was pretty upset about that as I feel I’ve found that balance and rhythm, but it ended in an injury.

“Having that time away now, I feel really grateful to play the sport and have been given a gift that has put me in this situation.

“I feel really excited to get back there and having that excitement is something that you can lose throughout certain points of your career, so having to take a step back has made me happier on the field in a way because I can see that joy again inside me.”

Fowler has also delved into the publishing world during her time away from the pitch, with ‘Bloom: Creating a Life I Love’ hitting the shelves on Tuesday 18 November.

The Australian revealed that journaling has always been an interest of hers, describing the book as something that she hopes would’ve helped her as a teenager in an Instagram post around its launch.

Although our number eight admits she’s nervous to see the book released, she says the opportunity to reflect on her career so far was an enjoyable experience.

“It feels strange. I don’t think it’s really hit me yet that it’s coming out,” she added.

WATCH: Mary Fowler extends City stay!

“I’ve always enjoyed writing and journaling. As someone who has struggled to express themselves and how they’ve felt to others, writing has been my outlet.

“In a weird way, writing the book was the easy part. Releasing it is a lot harder to do because people are now going to read that. It’s been really exciting to do and been really nice to see myself in different spaces and see the way I’ve grown and deal with that.

“It feels uncomfortable, I’m also really proud I’m also able to do that. It’s exciting but I also feel a bit anxious for it to come out because I don’t know how it will be received.

“At the same time if I take a step back and see where I’m at in my journey and see how amazing it is to write a book in the first place. It’s pretty cool.”