Rylee Foster, the Canadian goalkeeper back on the pitch after a horrific car crash

The doctors said she would never play soccer again

The Wellington Phoenix player Rylee Foster was involved in a near fatal accident in 2021 while on holiday in Finland. Rylee was in the back seat when the driver of the car lost control, causing it to spin around.

The then Liverpool player went flying through the windscreen as her seatbelt did not work.

X-rays showed seven neck fractures and she had to undergo emergency surgery. She spent months without any mobility, having to wear a halo to support her neck and spine.

«I didn't know what was happening, I suffered a temporary blackout. I only remember when we lost control of the vehicle, but not the rest,» she told CTV News.

The Finnish doctors, and later those in England, said she would never play soccer again, and that it was a miracle in itself that she was still alive.

Rylee Foster spent her recovery period in Liverpool, where she had plenty of support from the club and the fans, but there were times when she didn't even have the strength to get out of bed.

Her motivation was to going to every game to greet the fans, as they always chanted her name.

Foster, 25, began rehabilitation in England, but when her contract with Liverpool expired, she emigrated to New Zealand, where she was signed by Wellington. She trained in the country's capital specifically to strengthen her entire spine and neck.

Against all odds she regained her fitness, and the Canadian finally made her return to the football pitch in the New Zealand league on 15 October 2023. She has already played three games in total this month, after 731 days of pain.