Chloe Mustaki trying to savour achievement after first Republic of Ireland senior cap

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 bout 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