Amelia Hart was told she couldn’t play football again: “I proved them wrong”

The English football talent Amelia Hart is back from scoliosis after a tough journey.

Amelia Hart plays for the English team This Girl Kicks. And she’s a fighter. She was diagnosed with scoliosis a few years ago.
– I was told by doctors that I had to stop playing football. I proved them wrong, says the 18-year-old left back.

Amelia Hart and her teammates reached the quarterfinals in the G18 category in the Gothia Cup. She loves to play for This Girl Kicks.
– It’s a great team. It’s so welcoming. We have a strong team relationship. We want to keep progressing and having fun really. I’ve got nice teammates. We’re always pushing each other and we have competitive training, says Amelia Hart.
This Girl Kicks is a club for girls only and they encourage girls to play football.
– I’ve played for the team for four years. It’s a great organisation. Women’s football keeps growing further and further. It’s great to be part of seeing this generation being able to participate more and to see girls get more opportunities in football, she says.
Amelia Hart loves the Gothia Cup.
– It’s an amazing experience. I’ve been here once before. I love to keep coming back for more. It’s a great competition.
More than 100 teams from England played in the Gothia Cup 2022.
– The reputation about Gothia Cup spreads around the world. That includes England. More and more people want to get involved, it’s great, she says.

Amelia Hart received terrible news in November 2018. She was diagnosed with scoliosis, which is a medical condition in which a person's spine has a sideways curve.
– It was a bit of a blow really. I was told by doctors that I had to stop playing football. To hear that out of the blue is heartbreaking, when it’s all that you love. I kept on going and tried to prove them wrong.
She had major spinal surgery in 2019.
– I had about a month to raise 8 000 pounds. It was a really tough journey, but I had amazing support from everyone I know. I can’t thank them enough. Without them I wouldn’t be able to get the surgery and get back to the level I play at now, says Amelia Hart.

The surgery was successful.
– It was a long road to recovery but I worked hard, kept on training, got my fitness back up and managed to get back to this team. And obviously I came here for this amazing cup! It’s great that I proved the doctors wrong.
She thanks football for her strength.
– Football gave me the determination to keep on pushing myself with the rehab. I hope I can carry on like normal now and keep progressing with my football.
Recently they won a local cup final. And Amelia scored with a beautiful freekick.
– I love my freekicks and my set pieces. It was my last under-18 game back home. It was just nice to top it off with that freekick and a goal line clearance in the last couple of minutes.

She wants to develop a lot as footballer and learn as much as she can.
– My dreams in football are just to keep on progressing, get as far as I can and play at the highest standard as possible. I want to play at amazing tournaments like this and make the most of these opportunities, says the talent.
Do you have a dream club?
– Oh, a dream club! she says with a laugh. Any club in the WSL. Manchester City would be the ultimate club really, says Amelia Hart.