Credit: Barcelona
England goal-keeper and Barcelona stalwart Ellie Roebuck has recalled her fight against stroke. Last February, she was diagnosed with a stroke which led to her believing that she will never get a chance to play football again. Roebuck’s career is marked with England’s Euro Cup success in 2022 as she was a key player of the side that won the continental tournament after beating Germany in the final played at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London.
"I'm lucky because I should have lost my vision. I should have lost my peripheral vision for sure. The majority of people that suffer a stroke [like mine] do that. So, I probably should have been blind, which is quite a miracle that that didn't happen," said the 25-year-old in her conversation with BBC Sport. Recalling her old memories related to the disease, she revealed how she was lacking confidence to do anything on her own. "I was sat in A&E with all the people on a Thursday night that'd been out drinking. They'd come in with their cuts and bruises and I was just sat there [thinking] 'what is happening?' And then I got taken to the stroke ward which was something that I'd never really want to remember,” said the goalkeeper.
I think it was a badly managed situation: Roebuck on her final season with Man City
In December 2024, Roebuck made a comeback after 19 months in Barcelona colours. The youngster’s dream of playing for the distinguished Spainsh club came true as she became a part of the team through a free transfer. She also feels Manchester City shook her confidence the way she was handled in her final season for the club. She also revealed how her equation with City’s manager Gerath City worsened and how her old club failed to address the issue.
"I just felt like maybe my relationship with the manager [Gareth Taylor] got fractured. I don't know whether that was me, maybe not hearing the clear communication or the fact that there just wasn't clear communication. I got my head down and I just tried to work every day, but I think it was a badly managed situation. I've always been professional. I just felt like the respect wasn't reciprocated in that same sense," remarked the English player.
