Rachel has given us an inside scoop on how she has dealt and still dealing with coming back from 2 consecutive fractures. Read more about where she is from and how she has dealt with this uphill battle with a positive perspective.

“I am from Malta, when I was growing up there weren’t any female teams. It was a bit difficult because I was the only girl on a boys team from the age of 5 to 13. There were boys looking at me like ‘ what are you doing here?’, but I didn’t mind. It just made me tougher and I was finally accepted into the team. It was a great time in life.

I have won the Cypriot, the Maltese league and cup, 4 times then the Belgian league once. I have personal achievements of winning best player of the year and taking top scorer during my times in Malta and Cyprus.

My favorite part of football is making friendships and meeting new people from other countries. It is a big plus that they have the same passions and goals in football as well. The only thing I could tell myself when I was 15, is to take education seriously and not push it aside as I did. If I have to really be honest I wished I went to play abroad earlier than I did. Those are the different decisions I would of taken. The people that motivate me are my family. They have always been my motivation and of course my friends. Some of my friends have been through the whole experience with me so I’m forever grateful to them.

My best memory is being the first female Maltese player to sign a professional contract with a Cypriot club, Apollon Ladies. My worst memory was during my first year at Anderlecth, a Belgian club.  Breaking my leg 6 months after joining them was the hardest time for me. The two injuries I had were hard to take. The first one was breaking my tibia during a training session; it put me out for 9 months. I was just peaking to my best form. My career ended at Anderlecht because they didn’t want to keep me anymore. That was really hard to take. Then I had a door open to go play for PSV Vrouwen, in Holland. I was so grateful for them having faith in me as I had lost all my confidence. After recovering from my previous injury I was getting back that football feeling. Only 4 months since joining PSV at training camp this January I sustained a broken ankle, a dislocation and torn ligaments. I couldn’t believe I had to start all over again. Eventually my second injury had a different feeling that I can’t really explain. Some how I felt stronger than before. My mentality changed in a better way, I am more determined to get back. So in a way, my second injury has helped me more mentally. My advice is that an injury is only a setback. If you have a strong mind and believe in yourself, everything is possible. You will be back stronger than ever before and you will start doing what you love again!

What I look forward to most is getting on the pitch again, playing with my team and running after the ball like crazy. I want to be a better player than I was because football is the thing I’m most passionate about.”

Follow her on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rachelcuschieri8/