After being kept on the sidelines for over 14 months with a brutal ACL injury, Teyah Goldie finally made her return in an Arsenal shirt on Wednesday evening.
Teyah, our 18-year-old academy recruit and England youth international, came on as a second-half substitute in our 4-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion and described the feeling as "unbelievable."
"It has been a while but the moment was just as good as I ever imagined to be fair. I’m just buzzing.
"It’s a hard time for the team but as you can tell, the team are pushing through it and it was incredible to be out there with them."
She shared the bench on Wednesday with fellow homegrown Gunners Ruby Doe and Freya Godfrey - the latter of which earned her debut on Wednesday.
Aged only 16 at the time, Teyah's debut came back in 2021 during our 10-0 win over Gillingham in the FA Cup. Her stratospheric progress was brought to a cruel halt last March when she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament whilst playing on a dual-registration agreement with Watford last March. The journey back to the pitch hasn't been an easy one.
"As many people will tell you, it's up and down. But I’ve learnt so much along the way. It’s been a very emotional one but like I say, I’ve learnt so much. I’m in a better place now.
"All the staff have been incredible but I've got to shout out Rose [Glendinning]. She was there every step of the way. The girls and the staff made it that little bit easier every day."
With only three games left in the season and our growing injury list presenting more opportunities for our young Gunners to step up, Teyah is more than ready for the challenge.
"I feel like I'm just getting started, so it's annoying that the season is ending! But yeah, I actually can't wait for preseason - just to get going again."
To hear more from Teyah, click play on the video above.
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