Laura Holden, a midfielder for Swindon Town, has spoken out about her traumatic experience at Aberdeen FC two years ago, where she suffered a ruptured ACL that left her struggling with mental health. She believes the club failed to support her during her recovery, and her feelings of neglect led to a breakdown in her relationship with the team.
The 31-year-old was just six matches into her first season at Aberdeen when the injury occurred, and despite undergoing a long rehabilitation process, she felt neglected by the coaching staff and physiotherapy team. She claims that the club initially funded a scan but then wanted her to join the NHS waiting list, which would have delayed surgery for months.
Holden opted to pay for her own operation, and at the time, she didn't want to jeopardize her chances of staying with Aberdeen beyond her contract. However, she now regrets not setting up a GoFundMe campaign to cover the £8,000 cost of the surgery.
The midfielder also felt unsupported during her rehabilitation, stating that she was handed a recovery program but never had weekly check-ins or targets to hit. She described feeling like a burden and constantly having to ask for advice, which made her feel anxious about approaching her physiotherapist.
Tensions came to a head in autumn 2024 when Holden felt ready to return to training but was repeatedly denied by the physio, who said she wasn't fit enough. A heated argument ensued outside on the pitch, with Holden eventually leaving the club.
Aberdeen's new coach, Scott Booth, appointed later that year told Holden he wanted her to go on loan to another club, which left her feeling disbelieving and unwelcome. She would not return to the team after 543 days out injured.
Holden's experience has left her with a deep sense of regret and frustration. Despite moving on to Swindon Town, she remains concerned about the well-being of other players who may be going through similar struggles. Her message is clear: "I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else."
The 31-year-old was just six matches into her first season at Aberdeen when the injury occurred, and despite undergoing a long rehabilitation process, she felt neglected by the coaching staff and physiotherapy team. She claims that the club initially funded a scan but then wanted her to join the NHS waiting list, which would have delayed surgery for months.
Holden opted to pay for her own operation, and at the time, she didn't want to jeopardize her chances of staying with Aberdeen beyond her contract. However, she now regrets not setting up a GoFundMe campaign to cover the £8,000 cost of the surgery.
The midfielder also felt unsupported during her rehabilitation, stating that she was handed a recovery program but never had weekly check-ins or targets to hit. She described feeling like a burden and constantly having to ask for advice, which made her feel anxious about approaching her physiotherapist.
Tensions came to a head in autumn 2024 when Holden felt ready to return to training but was repeatedly denied by the physio, who said she wasn't fit enough. A heated argument ensued outside on the pitch, with Holden eventually leaving the club.
Aberdeen's new coach, Scott Booth, appointed later that year told Holden he wanted her to go on loan to another club, which left her feeling disbelieving and unwelcome. She would not return to the team after 543 days out injured.
Holden's experience has left her with a deep sense of regret and frustration. Despite moving on to Swindon Town, she remains concerned about the well-being of other players who may be going through similar struggles. Her message is clear: "I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else."
Interesting how Laura Holden's experience with Aberdeen FC has made her so vocal about player support during injuries 
. She sounds really upset that she had to pay for her own surgery and didn't have the right resources or care while rehabbing 
. I feel bad for her, hoping more clubs take her words seriously and prioritize player well-being 
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I'm so sorry to hear that Laura Holden went through all that. It's like they just threw her under a bus and expected her to fix everything on her own. £8,000 is a lot of money, especially for an injury that could've been prevented with proper support from the club. And yeah, not having weekly check-ins or targets to hit must've felt super frustrating and anxious for her 
. It's crazy how she had to pay for her own surgery and still got told she wasn't fit enough to return to training 
. I can see why she'd feel disbelieving and unwelcome when the new coach just sent her on loan without even trying to keep her around. The thing is, athletes' mental health shouldn't be an afterthought - we need more clubs prioritizing their players' well-being 
.
. It's crazy how some clubs just don't prioritize player well-being... 
. some ppl r lucky enuf 2 get support but others gotta fight for it 4 themselves...Laura Holden's story is a harsh reminder that recovery ain't just physical, it's mental too 
is just devastating. I'm glad she's moved on to Swindon Town though, maybe she'll get the support she deserves 
. It's also super frustrating that the coaching staff and physio team were so clueless 
.
. instead shes left feeling anxious and unwelcome after an argument on the pitch. thats mental health issues right there 
. It's crazy that she had to pay out of pocket for surgery and then deal with the emotional rollercoaster of being unsupported during her recovery 
. And can you imagine having to ask for advice from your physio all the time? That must've been super frustrating 
. Thats why its so good that Laura is speaking out and advocating for better support systems in football 
. Players need to feel like they can trust their clubs to have their backs, not just when they're injured but also during their recovery 
.
) on supporting her during her recovery. £8,000 out of pocket is no joke 
I feel so bad for Laura Holden 
. And to make matters worse, she didn't even get the support she needed during rehab 
. It's like she was treated like a burden instead of an athlete 
.
and is doing better now 
. This incident highlights the importance of clubs providing adequate care and resources for their players 
she was literally injured and needed surgery but they just dropped the ball on funding it 
that's no way to treat someone who's trying to come back from an injury... and then to make matters worse, the new coach just told her to go on loan somewhere else like she was all that bad 
. I'm not surprised she felt like a burden or had anxiety about talking to her physio 
.
️ this is just terrible I cant believe a club wouldnt support one of their own like that, £8k out of pocket on her own and still get told youre not fit enough? 
- we need more players speaking out about their experiences and advocating for better support systems in the sports world 
maybe other teams will take heed & provide better support 2 their injured players