Ellen White reveals "traumatic" incident that played huge role in her retirement

Ellen White has broken her silence on one of the main reasons why she decided to retire from professional football following England’s historic Euro 2022-winning summer.

Off the back of her emotional retirement statement, the Lionesses’ all-time top goalscorer has shed light on a “traumatic” incident that left her with a punctured lung last year.

White revealed the injury was a big factor in her decision to hang up her boots and look towards the next chapter in her career.

The former Manchester City star suffered a lung injury after receiving acupuncture for a back spasm issue following the 2020 Olympics.

Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine, derived from traditional Chinese practice, where thin needles are inserted into the skin. It is most often used in attempt to aid pain relief.

White helped Great Britain reach the quarter-finals at the Tokyo Games before returning to City, who arranged for an external specialist to perform the treatment.

The club reportedly outsourced the acupuncture specialist due to a high amount of injuries in the Man City camp at the time.

Speaking to BBC Sport, White revealed the treatment had punctured her lung, which was “a lot for me to have to go through and a big reason that accelerated my want to retire.”

The 33-year-old admitted if someone had suggested two or three years ago that she would retire in 2022, she would not have believed it.

However, her injury hampered her fitness and it is something she is still trying to work out.

“It punctured my lung which isn’t something that happens normally, obviously,” White said. “It was a really traumatic time for me and something that I’m still figuring out now, still working through.”

The puncture left White unable to exercise due to