Scotland midfielder Caroline Weir has expressed her delight at putting “the most challenging time in my career” behind her by scoring a double for Real Madrid on her return from nearly a year on the sidelines through injury.
The 29-year-old also supplied an assist as Real opened the Primera Division Femenina with a 5-0 thrashing of hosts Espanyol.
Weir rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament during Scotland’s Nations League match with Belgium last September.
“What a rollercoaster the last 11 months have been,” she said on Instagram. “Definitely the most challenging time in my career filled with so many ups and downs.
“Rehab is relentless, but I tried my best to embrace the challenge – easier said than done sometimes – and have learned a lot along the way.
“I had thought about the moment I’d be back playing in a competitive match many times and some days it genuinely felt like it would never come, but it has.”