History-making Julie Nelson targeting silverware with Crusaders Strikers after injury fightback

Julie Nelson has made 130 appearances for Northern Ireland

Julie Nelson is back on the football pitch and dreaming big that the final chapter of her career will be a golden one — just months after fearing that her playing days may be over.

Northern Ireland’s record caps holder, with 130 appearances, already has a place in history that can never be taken away after she scored the country’s first goal in a major tournament against Norway at the Women’s Euro 2022 finals.

At 38-years-old many players would be thinking of ending on that kind of high. Not Nelson. More international success and breaking through the barrier that has seen Crusaders Strikers lose in four domestic finals over the last few years are, she believes, targets that can be achieved.

“It’s been a long and frustrating period for me, but I am delighted to come through 90 minutes — my first League minutes of the season,” said Nelson, after helping the Strikers to a clean sheet in a 2-0 win over Derry City Women last Wednesday night.

“Of course the through that I might not come back crosses your mind when you suffer such a significant injury. I don’t seem to do minor injuries, everything I do seems to be quite major.

“I did fear I was going to need surgery and I was glad that wasn’t the case.

“I just had to trust the process and it feels nice to be back on the pitch after quite a long period out.”

Rather than glancing back at both the good times and the bad, Nelson is very much looking forward.

Ten points behind leaders Glentoran Women in the Sports Direct Women’s Premiership mean title success is realistically not a target anymore this season. The next assignment on the horizon now is an Irish Cup Quarter-Final battle with Sion Swifts Ladies on Friday night —