Leah Williamson is both eager and patient.
The 26-year-old defender was the first outfield player to emerge from the tunnel at Prenton Park for Arsenal’s warm-up ahead of their 2-0 win over Liverpool in the Women’s Super League (WSL) on Sunday. Arsenal fans, packed into the Cowshed stand, applauded Williamson as she ran towards them. Later, as the team was read out, her teammates Katie McCabe and Alessia Russo received rousing applause, but it was Williamson’s name, listed among the substitutes, that had the crowd reaching its loudest decibels.
Four days earlier, the England captain had made her return to action after 280 days out due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that she suffered in April. Williamson’s half an hour run out at Reading in the Conti Cup was a reward for her patience and hard work. The assist the ball-playing centre-back picked out for teammate Beth Mead in that 6-0 cup rout was a bonus.
Mead, who made her own comeback from an ACL injury this season, warmed up with Williamson in Merseyside. Tricks, flicks and no-look passes pleased home supporters and a sold-out away end.
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