Christy Grimshaw: AC Milan captain Grimshaw smiling through pre-season after year of pain

AC Milan captain Christy Grimshaw endured an injury nightmare that caused her to miss most of last season. The Scottish midfielder, who moved to Milan from Metz in 2020, suffered a serious knee injury requiring two surgeries and a 13-month recovery period before returning at the tail end of the previous campaign.

Grimshaw expressed profound gratitude for her recovery, stating she feels "so lucky to be able to walk" and "so lucky to be able to play football," admitting the experience has given her a new perspective on life and football. She described the mental difficulty of seeing her teammates prepare while she was injured, calling some moments "horrendous," including constant pain and an inability to imagine walking without discomfort again.

Remarkably, her contract extension to 2027 and the captaincy were confirmed while she was recovering from her first surgery, which she described as a "bittersweet moment." Now fully participating in pre-season, Grimshaw finds joy in even basic training drills like running and jumping tests, appreciating "the littlest of things." While focused on making her mark for AC Milan in the upcoming season, she also aims to regain her place in the Scotland national team, for whom she has earned 16 caps.