Something 'dramatic' has played a big role in Ellen's White decision to retire.

The Arsenal captain Ellen White spoke out for the first time about the moment her world came crashing down when a life-threatening injury forced her to miss the 2015 World Cup.

And in an emotional interview, White admitted that she considered walking away from the game for good after suffering a serious head knock during a match against Canada. “It was a very tough time for me,” Ellen said. “I had some dark days where I didn’t know if I wanted to carry on playing. It was a big decision and something that I thought about long and hard.

“In the end, I decided that I loved the game too much and I’m so grateful that I made the decision to carry on. I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved as a team and I feel like I’ve been able to play a small part in that.”

Ellen also revealed how the support of her family, friends and teammates helped her through that tough time and ultimately inspired her to achieve greatness with England. “They were all a massive support to me, especially my family who have always been there for me,” Ellen said. “My friends and teammates were also brilliant, they really helped me through some tough times."

“It’s been an incredible journey and I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this team.” Ellen White has spoken about the “dramatic” role that a health scare played in her decision to retire from England duty.

Speaking to The Guardian, White said: “It was quite a dramatic thing that happened to me and it definitely played a role in my decision. “I had a few months to reflect during lockdown. I thought about how I wanted to come back and what kind of player I wanted to be. I want to be able to look back on my career and say I was the best player I could be. That’s why I have decided to retire.”