Republic of Ireland striker Leanne Kiernan said she felt like "a newborn lamb" when she first started running again after a nasty injury that effectively wiped out her whole season.
Now the Cavan woman is playing with a spring in her step as she targets a dream ticket to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Last September Kiernan damaged her ankle in action for Liverpool against Chelsea in their first Women's Super League game of the season.
It decimated her campaign. Kiernan only got back on pitch in May for the Reds' penultimate league game having come through surgery, relapses and a painstaking rehabilitation programme.
But this horror story could yet have a happy ending after Vera Pauw included Kiernan in her training camp squad ahead of next Thursday's friendly against Zambia, a match that looks like a criticial audition for the Bailieborough 24-year-old.
The stakes are high - not that she's fretting too much. Kiernan has always been a laid-back figure capable of putting things into perpsective.
"I'm hoping I have that advantage of being fresh and ready to go."
"Is it a stressful situation being in here? No. I'm buzzing to be back," she said at the UCD Bowl where Ireland held an open training camp in front of around 1200 supporters on Friday morning.
"I feel really confident in myself and my ability. Hopefully that's enough.
"The hunger to come back and play has been crazy in my head. I've been... not resting, but I haven't been on my legs as much as everyone else this year. I'm hoping I have that advantage of being fresh and ready to go."
Kiernan does indeed look fresh and ready to go, delighting the crowd at UCD with a screamer that flew into the top corner during a full-pitch training game.
She's full of beans and sharp; though it's taken some time for her to feel totally comfortable.
"Did you ever see a newborn lamb go to grass?! That's what I was like, hopping around the place," she laughed when reflecting on her initial return to action.
"It had been so long. It must have been five months since I ran. It was crazy, learning to run again, use my legs again.
"I couldn't fly for a long time because I was in a cast and I was in [protective] boots. You know the way they are with clotting and stuff. So my mam came over for about two or three weeks. The first two weeks I was non-existent. I think I lay in bed for two weeks, I couldn't really do much.
"I got home an odd weekend, but there were never any days off. I knew if I missed two days that would put me back the following week. It's brilliant being back. I missed the girls."
Football is fickle. Kiernan feels fortunate that she had signed a contract extension with Liverpool just before she suffered the ankle injury.
It meant she didn't have the added stress of potentially being let go by the club this summer, a fate suffered by compatriot Megan Campbell.
"I'm lucky I know 'Beardy' [manager Matt Beard] a long time," she added.
"He trusts in my ability, he knows what I can do. It was nice to know that I had another year to my contract, because I had a fair idea I was going to miss most of the season after the surgery.
"Football can be a cruel game, as you can see with Megan, but no doubt she'll come back mentally stronger from this and do well elsewhere."
It's been a massively challenging eight months for Kiernan, but she has emerged from it all blinking into the light, the tantalising prospect of going Down Under slowly coming into focus.
Positivity has been the key in her slow climb back up the mountain.
"Of course you have doubts in your mind but it was always my end goal," she said.
"I know it's been horrific that I missed the whole season, but it was great when Amber scored that goal [in the play-off against Scotland] because I always had [the World Cup] to work towards.
"You're always pushing and pushing. If I didn't have this then maybe I could relax for the summer. But no. I always like working towards goals. I think that's where I do best. It's been a lot of hard work. I don't want to look at a gym again! But it's been good."
