Chloe Mustaki admits there was a stage in her rehab when she began to worry that getting back onto the field might not happen.
She suffered an ACL injury back in March 2020 as the Republic of Ireland squad were preparing for a European Championship qualifier against Greece.
Having played underage football for her country from schoolgirls level right up to U19s, her first senior cap was set to be delayed.
It took nearly two years from the time of her injury before she finally made her senior international debut yesterday against Russia in the Pinatar Cup semi final.
And Mustaki, who was born in Ohio and raised in south Dublin, said her rehabilitation was a frustrating period.
"There were definitely some really low points," said the 26-year-old.
"I didn't get running pain free for about nine or 10 months, which is really late. Usually that happens about 4-5 months post-op.
"When it got to seven months and I still wasn't running pain free I started to freak out a bit. There were moments in the rehab where I hadn't reached the [expected] milestones and they were particularly difficult points.
"Overall I knew I'd get there - I didn't know how long it was going to take and unfortunately my path was longer than the average female."
The ACL injury isn't the only set back that Mustaki has suffered in her career.
At 19, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer, and prevailing through such adversity made her senior debut a poignant occasion for the Shelbourne defender.
"Everyone came up to congratulate me after the game, and I think everyone knows how much it means to me," she said.
"Not just the ACL, but the lymphoma when I was younger as well. Finishing my under-19 career and then two weeks later being diagnosed with cancer. Coming back from that and then being so close to my first senior cap and then tearing my ACL.
"Emotionally everyone knew how much it meant to me. It was a strange feeling on the bus on the way back to the hotel, reading messages on my phone from family, friends and everyone around me.
"Knowing how much it meant to me and congratulating me for sticking to it. I'll probably think back to last night for a long time.
"It was a night and day to remember," she added.
"It's been a long time coming. It's something I've been working really hard towards over the last two years, coming back from the ACL tear. I can be happy enough, I played 90 minutes. Whether or not I'm happy with my performance I'm just happy to have played a part."
"I worked with a number of different physios over the last two years and getting messages from them was really important to me. They mean a lot to me at this stage.
"I cried in front of some of them at different stages of my rehab. Hopefully there's more to come, be that in the near future or the distant future."
The year ahead holds much promise for Ireland.
You have to go back to 2008 for the last time they managed to reach the play-offs for a major tournament, and they've never managed to take the ultimate step and qualify for a competition.
While Sweden, who the Girls in Green play in April, have as good as won World Cup qualifying Group A at this stage, the battle for second place, and the play-off place that goes with it, is very much open.
Ireland are currently second, and will welcome Finland, who they beat in the away fixture, to Dublin in September. In the same month they're also due to take on Slovakia, who took a point from Tallaght Stadium last year.
Before all that there's trips to Gothenburg to play the Swedes, followed by an away date with Georgia.
While Mustaki says she doesn't want to get ahead of herself, she admits she'll be doing her utmost to earn more caps.
"I'll probably think back to last night for a long time," she said.
"I am really proud of myself and I don't really pat myself on the back too much but I definitely can after last night. I need to focus on being happy where I'm at.
"As competitive individuals we always strive for the next step. I'd have torn someone's arm off if they told me six months ago that I'd be having my first international cap.
"I absolutely want to be in every single camp over the next year and a half as we prepare for the World Cup, but I have to be proud of how far I've come.
"Seven months ago I was struggling to get through training sessions, pain free, with Shels. I'll do my best to be involved but there are so many talented players involved at the moment.
"If I'm in [the squad] in April, great, if not, I'll aim for the next camp."
