Emily Wilson: Why proper medical support changes everything for women's players in Northern Ireland

About the author
Northern Ireland international Emily Wilson has spent almost a decade playing in the NI Women's Premiership and currently plays for Glentoran. The 24-year-old forward recently underwent ankle surgery supported through PFA Northern Ireland's medical partnership with private healthcare provider Kingsbridge, introduced for union members ahead of the 2026 season.

By Emily Wilson

Not long after surgery on my ankle, I found myself thinking less about the operation itself and more about something I probably would have worried about a few years ago: how on earth I was going to pay for it.

Thankfully, that thought never came this time.

Instead, I was focused on my recovery. My rehab. Getting back on the pitch as quickly and safely as possible. And honestly, that peace of mind says everything about how much the women's game in Northern Ireland is changing.

For years, women's players here have carried a quiet fear in the back of our minds every time we've stepped onto the pitch: What happens if I get injured?

Not just injured enough to miss a match or two, but injured enough to need scans, surgery or long-term rehabilitation. Would the treatment be covered? Could you get an MRI quickly? Would you end up paying out of pocket? Would you spend months waiting for appointments while your season slipped away?

Those questions have been a reality for too many players.

I've played in this league for almost a decade, and I've seen team-mates have to raise funds for surgeries. I've seen players delay treatment because they couldn't afford it or didn't know where to turn. Some ended up missing far more football than they should have because the support simply wasn't there.

That's why the new partnership between PFA Northern Ireland and Kingsbridge feels like such a significant moment for women's football here.

The union has been working with women's clubs to put in place injury cover, protection and insurance. For players, this isn't just policies – it’s about giving us the confidence to focus on football instead of fearing the consequences of injury.

I picked up an ankle injury in training. Scans showed that bone had pulled away in the joint and surgery was needed to remove loose bone and cartilage. The moment you hear ‘surgery’, your mind starts racing. How long will I be out? What happens next?

But what stood out to me throughout the process was how straightforward everything became once the support system was there.

I reached out to PFA Northern Ireland and immediately felt reassured. There was constant communication, the claim was handled quickly and within days I was seeing a consultant. Not months later – days later. Surgery followed within a week.

That speed matters enormously in football. Injuries are difficult enough mentally and physically without adding uncertainty and delays on top of them. Most importantly, I never had to sit wondering whether treatment would be approved or whether I could afford it. That burden was taken away.

And when you remove that burden from players, you allow them to recover properly.

In women's football, especially at league level in Northern Ireland, many players are still balancing football alongside jobs, studies and everyday life. We don't always have full medical departments or team doctors. Often, your physio is your first and only point of contact.

Physios do incredible work, but sometimes you need specialist input: scans, surgery, consultants and rehabilitation programmes that go beyond what clubs alone can realistically provide.

That's where PFA Northern Ireland and their partnerships make a real difference.

It also sends an important message about professionalism here. Players coming into the league can see there are proper structures and protections in place. Existing players feel valued and looked after. That can only help raise standards and keep more players in the game for longer.

We're making progress in Northern Ireland, but we also have to be honest: we are not fully there yet.

Medical support is improving massively, but there is still more to do, especially around psychological support for injured players. Long-term injuries can be incredibly isolating. Sometimes the hardest part isn’t the surgery or the rehab programme. It's the uncertainty, the loneliness and the mental battle.

Hopefully we can also take that next step to have accessible support systems around mental wellbeing as much as physical recovery. That should become a normal part of player care, not something people feel they have to seek out privately.

Still, when I look back at where the women's game was five or ten years ago here, the progress is undeniable.

When I first started playing senior football, players often accepted being out of pocket as just part of the experience. If you got injured, that was your problem to solve. Now, thanks to the work being done by PFA Northern Ireland, players are beginning to feel properly represented and protected.

That matters because footballers are workers too. We deserve safe working conditions, medical care and support systems that recognise the demands placed on our bodies.

And if the women's game in Northern Ireland wants to continue growing – attracting better players, bigger crowds and higher standards – then those protections cannot be viewed as luxuries. They have to become the baseline.

I hope that in another five or ten years, conversations like this won't feel groundbreaking at all. I hope full medical coverage, fast access to treatment and proper player welfare simply become standard expectations for every woman playing football in Northern Ireland.

Because no player should have to choose between chasing their dream and protecting their health.