Riley Foster wore a halo device screwed into her skull in four places to hold her neck still. Photo: Telegraph/Paul Cooper If you break your neck in seven places, have a subdural hematoma and two lower back fractures, staying alive is the first miracle. The second is to not be paralyzed forever, and the third is to return to an active lifestyle. But let's go back to the stage when you can safely play as a professional goalkeeper? It's a completely different ball game.
It's been a challenge for former Liverpool star Riley Foster after a car crash on an icy road in Finland sent her through the windscreen on October 16, 2021, leaving her unable to move. When the Canadian athlete first spoke to Telegraph Sport four months after the accident, she was wearing a halo device screwed into her skull in four places to keep her neck stationary. And yet she passionately declared her desire to return to the gates again.
Notably, her return was complete on Sunday as she made her debut for her new club, Wellington Phoenix of New Zealand, which competes in the Australian A-League. The game ended in a 1-0 loss to Melbourne City, but for Foster, her family and medical experts at Liverpool's Walton Center, to name a few, it was a major victory.
In an exclusive interview with Telegraph Sport ahead of her first competitive appearance after saving a penalty for Liverpool in the shoot-out win over Aston Villa three days before the crash, Foster also suffered a broken cheekbone, dislocated jaw and partial jaw damage. — MCL injured her knee in that horrific accident — says it took an 'army' of people to get her back into shape.
“There was always an abiding belief and feeling that I would return, but I will not hide the fact that there was also a lot of doubt on my part and there were times when I thought I would not return. capable of doing this. The journey itself was always up and down,” says Foster. “But inside of me there was a burning desire to get back on the field and redeem myself and prove everyone wrong.
“It's just the stubborn side of me. But now that I can stand up straight and say, “I did it,” it feels really powerful. This brings great pride to me, my family and the support staff who surrounded me.”
never give up. never give up. ALWAYS BELIEVE, ALWAYS SHOW UP
I'm proud of the team for the fight we showed today, not the result we wanted, but a great place to start! Stay tuned, this band is special💛@WgtnPhoenixFC pic.twitter.com/MuvEsDQ5V3
— Riley Foster (@_ryleefoster) October 15, 2023
After being discharged from the Helsinki hospital, Foster's sister Maki moved in with her for six months to help her cope with everyday activities, from eating to dressing and bathing.
The 25-year-old, who received her first call-up to Team Canada in 2021, said: “I owe my life to my family, I am forever in their debt. And Liverpool Football Club really helped me by making sure I had everything I needed and getting me back on my feet, getting me involved in the club and the community so I wasn't just sitting on the sidelines. They were great.
“Walton Center did an amazing job getting me better – I am so grateful. And I have a psychologist, Mark, a legend, who helped keep my mental stability. When things go wrong along the way in rehab, things become very difficult and you begin to doubt yourself and the process. Patience is the best word for the hardest side: the mental side.
“You know the body will react physically, I knew I was strong and I could see the progress in my body, but mentally I felt that I don’t overcome difficulties as quickly as my body. I had to feel it and deal with it every day and I was in some very dark places and my thoughts were hard to deal with, but I was very lucky to have a great environment.”
Riley Foster makes a save from Caitlin Torpey of Melbourne City. Photo: Getty Images/Hagen Hopkins
Once she was cleared to remove the halo restraint device last year, many people might have been willing to return to normal life, and diving for rescue inevitably carries additional risks for a patient with a neck injury. But Foster says “the challenge of throwing your body around was too exciting,” adding: “I think it's the thrill. It's a lot of passion, adrenaline, and I love doing it.
“I remember sitting with my family and coming up with ideas of what I could do if I couldn't play football anymore, and I was coming up with the most incredible sports, like, 'I'll take up cycling because why not?' I'll start doing crazy tours just to be challenged. But once I realized that I could return to the field, there is nothing better than a goalkeeper. There's nothing better than throwing your body around. It's the satisfaction of being saved and being a hero.”
On July 15, during her trial at Celtic, Foster's doctors officially cleared her to play football again. She describes the moment as “getting a golden ticket” and now feels that the club that decided to give her a professional contract Down Under was part of fate.
“It means a lot to me to sign contract with Phoenix. I think it's really symbolic,” she said. “The Phoenix alone says a lot about the story because it rose from the ashes, so it's a perfect fit. When the letter first arrived, my mother was just honing the symbolism of the Phoenix. I could tell this was going to happen. And Phoenix accepted me as if I was a normal player again, for which I am very grateful.”
Now a new chapter can begin for this strong-willed athlete from Ontario. She's had «You'll Never Walk Alone» tattooed on her arm for ten years, and the slogan seems more relevant than ever to her recovery story.
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