Jess Ziu is eager for her long awaited return to action for West Ham Women, with the midfielder working her way back to full fitness after having suffered a second ACL injury.

The past couple of years haven’t been easy for the 22 year old midfielder. Ziu suffered her first ACL injury back in October 2022, before enduring the heartbreak of sustaining a second ACL injury in a pre season friendly last summer.

Her two ACL injuries have forced the Republic of Ireland international to spend a significant amount of time on the sidelines, as a result she has missed out on plenty of club football as well as international tournaments. Ziu missed the 2023 Women’s World Cup, sat out the entire 24/25 WSL campaign, and won’t be involved in this summer’s UEFA Women’s Nations League either.

At just 22 and still early on in her professional career, Ziu has already had to overcome two major set backs, but despite these significant hurdles her strength and resilience have shone through. Nine months on from her second operation, West Ham’s number 16 returned to the grass in February and continues to work hard on her recovery behind the scenes.

After getting back on the pitch in February, Ziu pushed through some demanding individual training sessions before making a brief return to training alongside her Hammers teammates, and even taking part in some contact drills. “It was tough. I just ran, ran, ran and ran more ! There was a lot of running, I had a good laugh with the physios, but it was tough. It was quite a lot on my joints but it was good, it made me fitter.” said the Hammers midfielder, as reported by the clubs Official Website.

Ziu continued: “I did a week of training with the girls, contact. It felt good, but now I’m on my own at the minute doing a lot with the physios. We’re getting there.”

Throughout the many months of rehab, the thought of wearing a West Ham shirt again has kept Ziu going. “I’m so excited to put the jersey on.” said Ziu.

Beyond her ultimate focus and goal of returning to action for West Ham, the 22 year old is looking forward to soaking up the full match day experience again, from being in the dressing room with her teammates to the pre match routine. “I’m really excited to be back in the dressing room, with the vibes, the warm up, doing all the small things that people probably take for granted. Having done both of my knees, I don’t take anything for granted anymore.”