Exclusive Interview: Brighton Academy player Daisy Kidd on Football, Injury Setbacks and Finding Her Way Back

Sophie Hurst
Apr 8
9 min read

At just 17, Daisy Kidd has already experienced the kind of highs and setbacks that define a football career. Currently part of the Brighton & Hove Albion Women U19s setup, her journey through the academy system has been anything but straightforward, shaped by early breakthroughs, difficult decisions, and the kind of resilience you can’t really teach.

It’s also one I’ve seen up close. We went to the same primary school, and even back then, you could tell football wasn’t just something she liked, but something she was born to do. While most of us moved between hobbies, Daisy stuck at it, and that consistency has carried through every stage of her journey since.

From Playground Football to the Academy Pathway

Whilst many of us are introduced to football through family heritage, Daisy’s introduction to the game was instead by playing in the school playground and wanting more of it.

“I started playing when I was six,” she says. “Football wasn’t really a big thing in my family. It just came from playing at school. I went home one day and begged my mum to let me join a team.”

Like most childhood fixations, Daisy’s desire was expected to pass, but once she joined a local football camp during school holidays and began training consistently, this fixation would be one that stuck.

That persistence paid off quickly, and by the age of seven, Daisy was sent on a week long trial at Charlton Athletic Women and after one day, she’d been signed, stepping into an environment with players two years older than her.

“I remember getting given a kit that was about two sizes too big,” she says. “The sleeves had to be rolled up and it basically looked like a dress.”

Daisy instantly proved that she was in the right place when she scored and also picked up Player of the Match on her debut. But more importantly, those early experiences set the tone for everything that followed: being pushed beyond your limits, adapting quickly, and learning in real time.

What Academy Football Actually Looks Like

The recent push of investment in women’s sport, has improved infrastructure and facilities across the country for girls in sport, specifically those in football academy set-ups. However, this drive of investment hasn’t always been present. There’s often a perception from the outside that academy football has been polished, well-resourced, and clearly structured from the beginning. Daisy’s experience shows a more honest version of that reality.

“When I first joined Charlton, it was based next to Sparrows Lane in a dome with astro pitches,” she explains. “Training was on weeknights, games on Sundays. There weren’t really any special facilities, just a pitch and a coach.”

But those environments, while simple, are often where players develop the most. Being the youngest in the group, Daisy was constantly challenged, but also well supported by the staff; something she still credits as a key part of her development.

Daisy made the move to Brighton and Hove’s Academy in 2022 during her last year of U14s. As she progressed through the academy system, the demands shifted. Suddenly the game wasn't just about playing, but everything around it too. From discipline and organisation, to managing the pressure that comes with developing elite football.

“It’s something you don’t fully understand unless you’re in it,” she says. “It’s a constant learning environment. You’re developing every day, not just as a player but as a person.”

Balancing school, training, travel, and recovery becomes part of daily life. You learn quickly how to manage your time, look after your body, and deal with expectations, both internal and external.

But there are also moments that define academy life in ways people outside the system don’t always see. One of the biggest is the annual retain-and-release period.

“February is probably the toughest time,” Daisy says. “That’s when you find out if you’re being kept or released. Everything builds up to that moment.”

Alongside that pressure are the decisions players have to make at a young age, decisions that can shape their entire pathway. At just 10 years old, Daisy was offered the chance to join Arsenal’s Academy after a successful trial, even being considered for a higher age group. After taking time to think it through, she chose to stay at Charlton, where she was at the time.

“I do think about it sometimes,” she admits. “Like whether things would be different if I’d gone. But at the time, it felt right to stay.”

Injury, Setbacks and Starting Again

In October 2023, during her first season at U16 level, Daisy’s journey took a significant turn when she suffered her first ACL injury.

“At the time, I didn’t fully understand what it meant,” she says. “But after the scans and being told it was a rupture, that was when it hit - surgery, and a year of rehab.”

The ACL injury crisis in women’s football has become impossible to ignore. There’s been growing frustration around the lack of research, funding and proper understanding of why these injuries are happening so frequently, and how they can be prevented. What’s often overlooked, though, is that this isn’t just an issue at the very top of the game, it runs all the way through the pyramid. ACL injuries are happening outside just these elite professional environments, they’re showing up in academy environments where players are still developing, both physically and mentally. We’ve seen how devastating they can be at the elite level, taking players like Leah Williamson and Sam Kerr out of major tournaments and entire seasons, but the same reality exists for the next generation coming through. For young players, the impact can be just as significant, not just in terms of time lost on the pitch, but in confidence, development, and identity within the game.

The months that followed Daisy’s first ACL rupture weren’t just about being out of football, they were also about rebuilding from the ground up.

“The first few months after surgery were like nothing I’d experienced before,” she explains. “I had to relearn how to walk properly and control my muscles again.”

Recovery became structured around small, consistent goals and became a process that required patience as much as physical effort.

“One of the biggest things that helped me was goal setting. Even small steps gave me something to work towards.”

Support from her family and physiotherapy team at Brighton, alongside nutritionists, psychologists, strength and conditioning coaches, wider wellbeing staff and teammates, played a huge role, but the experience also forced a shift in mindset.

“It gave me a completely different outlook. It taught me how to deal with setbacks and how to work towards something long-term.”

Photo Credit: Brighton Hove and Albion FC

Then, just as she was approaching a return, to much devastation, Daisy suffered a second ACL injury, just 10 days before her first game back.

“Honestly, it was disbelief,” she says. “I’d already done months of rehab, so to have it happen again felt really unfair.”

Getting so close back to the game she loved, after a gruelling year of rehab, undoubtedly affected Daisy’s confidence, routine, and day-to-day life, pulling her back into another long rehabilitation process.

“You start questioning your body and whether you’ll get back to the same level. It’s frustrating, and it can feel repetitive.”

But over time, that experience built resilience in a different way.

“It made me mentally stronger. I think I handle things differently now because of it.”

As players move up through the age groups, the demands on their bodies naturally increase, with more structured gym work, strength programmes, and higher physical loads becoming part of the weekly routine. In Daisy’s experience at Brighton & Hove Albion Women, that process has been closely managed, with strength and conditioning coaches, physios, and wider support staff building individual plans tailored to each player.

But there’s still a wider conversation around how those physical foundations are built over time, particularly across the women’s game as a whole. While environments like Brighton’s academy are now providing that level of support, not every player will have had consistent access to it from a young age. For those currently moving through the older age groups, that can mean adapting to increased demands later in their development.

We’ve seen similar experiences in players like Teyah Goldie, who suffered back-to-back ACL injuries during her time in the Arsenal Women academy before going on to join London City Lionesses, highlighting just how complex and individual these situations can be.

The Reality of Rehab

Rehabilitation itself is often misunderstood, it's not just about getting back to fitness, but it follows a structured, repetitive process focused on rebuilding strength, stability, and movement.

“A typical day is a lot of gym work; strength, stability, mobility,” Daisy explains. “As you progress, it becomes more about running mechanics and getting back to match fitness.”

It’s a process built on time blocks, carefully managed to protect the joint and avoid re-injury. But beyond the physical work, it’s the mental side that stands out most.

“It’s the patience, the frustration, the small setbacks, that’s what people don’t really see.”

For senior professional athletes, rehab becomes their everyday, but for academy kids battling injury, they also have to balance this with everything outside the training ground. For Daisy, at the same time as recovering from the second ACL injury, she was also completing her GCSEs, passed her driving test, earned her UEFA C coaching licence, and took on volunteer coaching. Alongside this, Daisy has also developed her understanding of the game in other ways, becoming a qualified referee just before her first ACL injury, adding another layer to how she sees and understands football.

“It came down to organisation and prioritising,” she says. “Having goals outside of football helped me stay focused.”

That balance wasn’t always easy.

“There were definitely times where it felt like everything was piling up. But I just focused on taking things one step at a time.”

Perspective, Coaching and Growth Beyond the Pitch

One of the most important parts of Daisy’s journey has been gaining perspective, something that’s come not just from being on the pitch, but from finding ways to stay connected to football when she couldn’t play. Coaching, in particular, has played a huge role in that.

Working with younger players has given her a completely different understanding of the game, one that goes beyond just performing on the pitch. “With younger players, it’s all about enjoyment and learning the basics,” she says. “It reminds you why you started.” But it’s also been more than just a reminder. During rehab, when she was missing that day-to-day involvement on the pitch, coaching became a way to stay mentally engaged with football. In a period where so much was taken away physically, it allowed her to keep growing as a player in a different way.

It’s also shaped how she approaches setbacks, both personally and in how she supports others. “I try to show them that setbacks are normal. It’s okay to feel frustrated, but it’s about how you respond to it.” That mindset feels hard-earned, coming from someone who’s had to rebuild not just physically, but mentally, more than once.

For a long time, the idea of staying in football has been tied almost entirely to playing, especially in the women’s game where pathways off the pitch haven’t always been as visible or accessible. Daisy’s experience shows a shift in that. Coaching isn’t just something she’s doing on the side, it’s actively developing her understanding of the game, while also opening up future opportunities within it. Whether that’s alongside playing or beyond it, it gives her options.

That feels particularly relevant with recent moves from FIFA to increase female representation in coaching, including requirements for women to be part of coaching staff in major competitions. On paper, it’s a positive step, but the reality is more complex. You can’t suddenly demand representation at the top without having built strong enough pathways underneath, especially when, in many parts of the world, those opportunities still aren’t widely available or supported.

What is encouraging, though, is seeing players like Daisy engaging with coaching from a young age, gaining qualifications, building confidence, and starting to see football from multiple angles. It’s a sign that things are beginning to shift. Not just in creating better players, but in developing future coaches, leaders, and voices within the game.

And beyond football, that sense of perspective has only grown for Daisy. Having time away from the game has reinforced the importance of balance; spending time with friends, going on holiday, and maintaining a life outside of football. “It helps you switch off and keeps everything in perspective.”

Looking Ahead

When reflecting on her journey so far, it’s not just the achievements that stand out, but also the challenges.

“The difficult moments have taught me the most,” she says. “They’ve made me stronger and helped me appreciate football more.”

Of course, as in all football, there have been highlights too, winning national and regional cups with Kent at U14 level, where she was also captain, and experiences like pre-season tours where she faced top opposition including Bayern Munich.

But right now, the focus is clear: returning to the pitch.

“I’m just looking forward to playing again, enjoying it, not overthinking.”

Daisy is currently 6 weeks away from getting minutes back on the pitch, and that moment will carry weight beyond just football.

“I think it’ll mean a lot to my family as well,” she says. “They’ve supported me through everything, all the travel, appointments, everything behind the scenes. And the staff at Brighton as well, all the time, effort and planning they've put into getting me back, I just want to show them that it's all been worth it.”

Looking further ahead, her ambitions feel shaped as much by everything she’s been through as anything that came before it. Right now, the focus isn’t just on returning, but on returning better.

“My ambitions are the same as they’ve been all the way through this,” she says. “To get back playing for my club, back into my position at centre-back, and show that I’m stronger mentally and fitter than when they first saw potential in me.”

Alongside that, her interest in coaching is something she wants to keep building on too.

“I still want to see how far I can go in the game,” she adds. “But I’d also love to keep developing in coaching as well.”