Jess Ziu has had to wait over 13 months to take to the field in a competitive fixture again.
The 21-year-old midfielder suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament, Lateral Collateral Ligament and Meniscus injury on 2 October 2022 in a 2-2 draw with London City Lionesses, only four games into her West Ham United career.
That meant months of isolation and recovery in the gym whilst others were away at the World Cup, including the Republic of Ireland, whom Ziu has featured 12 times for and would have more than likely been in contention for a place in their inaugural World Cup squad.
On Sunday against Bristol City, Ziu’s recovery was complete, coming off the bench in the 83rd minute as the Hammers looked to get back into the match against the Robins.
“I was out there warming up and Rehanne called me over to get ready. In that moment, I didn’t have time to be nervous and it doesn’t hit you properly," Ziu told whufc.com
"All of the girls were asking me after the game how I felt, and I didn’t really have an answer! It was just a real mixture of emotions, and I think anyone who has been involved in a long recovery process will be able to resonate with that feeling.
Guess who’s back? 🧐
— West Ham United Women (@westhamwomen) November 6, 2023
After 13 months of hard work, @jessziu7 made her return last night! ⚒️#BarclaysWSL pic.twitter.com/UNKoi2lklw
"The 15 minutes or so that I had out on the pitch was perfect for me. I’ve had a lot of one-on-one sessions back at the training ground to get me ready to come back onto the pitch. I’m very thankful that Rehanne put me on in such an aggressive and tight game.
“It’s been a long time coming, but I’ve had fantastic support from the players and staff, I’ve felt part of the team throughout my recovery, and everyone has kept me motivated and on task. I have so many people to thank for helping me."
Speaking earlier on in her recovery, Ziu touched on her time spent working inside in the gym, often in isolation away from teammates.
During the past couple of months, that has transitioned to being back on the grass, and the Dublin native says that being out on the grass, but not being able to get involved in full training has been the toughest part of the whole process.
“The last two months I think have been the toughest for me, both mentally and physically. It’s a lot of hard work, you’re in those one-on-one sessions, not training with the girls, but you can see them training away as a group on the pitch beside you.
“It’s the feeling of being ready to play in your head, but you’re on that last little phase of the recovery journey and you want to make sure you’re ready and that you come back and stay fit. That’s the battle that you’re constantly having in your head.
“I’ve been lucky that I’ve had players that have been in and out of the treatment room with me, as well as the staff that I mentioned before that have helped keep me going. I’m a very lively person, I love being in a big group and I’m energetic, so I was over the moon when I was given the go-ahead to return to first-team training."
Alongside the support from medical and physical staff, Ziu has also received support from manager Rehanne Skinner, who began taking training in pre-season from August.
The boss has provided support and words of encouragement to the young midfielder since arriving in east London, and Ziu thanked the manager for the understanding she has shown.
“Rehanne has been really good with me. She’s also been through an ACL injury too which I think helps with understanding how tough it can be.
“She caught up with me at the start of the season and spoke about a lot of things with me and made me feel really comfortable. When I had a couple of setbacks, she came and spoke with me and was really patient and understanding.
“It’s good to have good people around you, and that’s definitely helped me over the last 13 months. The staff we had in the building last season helped me with a lot too, so I’d like to thank everyone really, I wouldn’t be back on the pitch without everyone’s support.”
All of that hard work culminated in Ziu putting on the Claret & Blue shirt against the Robins, where she was given a fantastic welcome back by the West Ham faithful.
She’s now looking to continue building up her match fitness in the coming weeks and make an impact.
“Being in back in front of the fans was amazing, they gave me such a big welcome when I came on. I want to stay fit and kick on now, get more minutes and get up to speed with the intensity of games.
“I want to help the team and make an impact whether I’m starting or on the bench, helping the team pick up points and move up the table. Then, on a personal note, I want to get back in contention for the National Team as well, so there's plenty to aim for.
"I’ll be taking it a week at a time to make sure that I stay fit and available to help West Ham this season."
