JORDAN NOBBS is determined to make up for the agony of missing last year’s World Cup by starring at the Olympics and Euro 2021, admitting her return from a long injury lay-off was more of a mental battle than a physical one.

The Arsenal midfielder (pictured) was ruled out of the biggest Women’s World Cup ever by an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury she suffered in November 2018 and had to watch on in France as a pundit as England finished fourth.

She made her comeback for the Gunners last August and is slowly getting back to her best, with two big tournament summers lying in wait. This year, she hopes to be selected for the Tokyo Games with Great Britain before England hosts the European Championship in 2021.

It is a period which gives Nobbs plenty to aim for as she aims to make up for lost time, having played just once at the 2015 World Cup after going into the tournament with a hamstring injury, and then missing last year’s showpiece altogether.

The 27-year-old has found returning a tough road and said: ‘The mentality side has been the hardest part. I’ve struggled with a bit of belief and confidence — you go from probably the best performances I’ve had in an Arsenal shirt to rock-bottom with injury.

‘The mental side has been a lot harder than the physical. That’s the easier part with the ACL actually. We have a psychologist here but I didn’t speak to them for a lot of the process — just friends, family and team-mates. Football’s a very difficult game at times and I would hope now all clubs have a psychologist.’

Nobbs made her comeback at the start of the season, playing for Arsenal in a friendly at Tottenham, scoring the third goal in a 6-0 win, and then — 295 days after suffering the injury — she was back in Women’s Super League action, as a substitute against West Ham.

She says that, unlike team-mate Danielle Carter, who cried when returning to action last year but has since had to have surgery on a second ACL rupture, she did not want to let the tears flow.

‘When I saw Dan Carter come back [the first time], she was emotional and crying. I couldn’t wait to be back on the pitch, I scored at Boreham Wood straight away and it’s a great moment. It’s a great feeling being back on the pitch and being out there feels like home again,’ she tells Metro at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground.

‘It’s a hard road and anyone who’s been through it would tell you it’s not even when you start playing games, even now I’m in that process of getting back to my best.

‘In some games it’s coming and in others you’re not as sharp but you just have to accept that.’

Nobbs instead became a pundit last summer — a clip of her celebrating in the stands when England beat Norway in the last eight endearing her to viewers. She believes her stint with the BBC saved her from herself ultimately. ‘I think it was unbelievable — a breath of fresh air for me,’ she adds.

‘It kept me afloat while I was doing my rehabilitation but without that I’d have been in a very tough place. It was difficult watching but definitely not as difficult as it would have been being at home doing rehab by myself. I can’t thank the BBC enough for that.’

Playing professionally is something Nobbs, daughter of former Hartlepool defender Keith, had not imagined when she was growing up kicking a ball around with her dad. ‘I never thought I wouldn’t play football but I never thought I would be a professional footballer,’ she explains.

‘I never looked at [the game] like that, I just knew I absolutely lived and breathed football. Every day I was at the park with the boys kicking a ball around — I was definitely addicted to it. I remember up north I used to play on a Sunday behind Morrisons, where they’d set up five-a-side goals and there were like 500 kids there.

‘You’d play like that, and having no expectations to now, when I’ve played in front of some big, big crowds and made history in women’s football. It’s phenomenal the way it’s changed and I’m so glad to be part of its growth.’

Do the kids of today still hone their skills behind Morrisons car park in Sunderland? ‘They probably do!

‘Such happy memories — the kit was too big for me, I always brought mud in the car on the way home, but I remember how much I loved it and it was just the best time,’ she continues.

‘We were an all-girls teams in an all-boys league, that was how different it was. Now there are centres of excellence, for girls and boys.’

Nobbs hopes to make the cut for a first Olympics with Team GB. Phil Neville, who will manage the British team alongside his duties with the Lionesses, who begin their SheBelieves Cup campaign against world champions the USA on March 5 in Orlando.

Nobbs missed both last year, as England won the SheBelieves for the first time, and is still playing catch-up. ‘It’s an absolute dream to have Tokyo ahead of us and the fact only 18 players get selected means it is a tough job for Phil. You want to play on a stage like that, they’re moments not many people live,’ she says.

‘SheBelieves is a great tournament for us to get game time, it shows where you’re at as a player. We’ve always loved SheBelieves so hopefully it will be an opportunity for me to play if selected [she is in the squad]. The tournaments are exciting now, to be in America where the women’s game is huge, makes it extra-special.’

Back home, Arsenal’s defence of their WSL crown has faltered of late. Recent defeats by title rivals Manchester City and Chelsea have left Joe Montemurro’s side three points off leaders City. The Gunners are a point behind second-placed Chelsea and face Lewes in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

‘It’s out of our hands and we need City and Chelsea to drop points now,’ Nobbs reflects. ‘We haven’t stopped believing — in this league anything can happen but we know we cannot afford to drop points. We had that mindset from the start anyway, it’s difficult but we still firmly believe we can win this league.

‘Over the last few years we’ve seen why WSL is one of the strongest around — nobody runs away with anything and there are a lot of teams developing. Everyone’s getting better and stronger and we know every game now matters.’

It is playing at the biggest events and winning medals which interests Nobbs, her hunger and motivation redoubled in the face of adversity.

‘It’s an exciting time for us, with an Olympics in Tokyo and a home Euros, especially with the way the game’s going with crowds growing,’ she says.

‘I’ve got a good period to build back to my best for those and I want to make sure I’m back to my best and on that plane to Japan this summer. I believe in myself and want to be a part of everything that’s coming up. I need to perform first but I feel I’ve missed two major tournaments and I hope that time is still to come for me.’

Jordan on…

Referees

‘You don’t know what people get paid or what level they’re at but it’s shown they’ve been out of their depth a little bit at times. No disrespect to them but are we picking the right people for the job at times?’

Pitches

‘We still need to improve certain areas and pitches is one. Good pitches decrease injuries and let us perform better. Sometimes the pitches determine whether it’s a good game of football and that’s something that needs to be better in the women’s game to allow us to perform to the best of our ability.’

VAR

‘I don’t think that’ll come into the women’s game for a very long time. It might be something we look forward to or end up hating in the future!’