Rafferty 'in a good place' after serious groin injury

Returning Northern Ireland defender Laura Rafferty said she is "in a good place" after recovering from a serious groin injury.

Rafferty last featured for NI over a year ago in a 2-0 Nations League defeat against Poland in Gdansk after struggling with persistent abdominal and groin pain.

She has since undergone the Lloyd Release Procedure, a specialized keyhole surgery that treats chronic, non-hernia related groin pain in athletes, and after extensive rehabilitation, has featured regularly for her club Rangers since returning in December.

The 29-year-old has opened up on her experience on the sidelines for an injury that is uncommon for female footballers and the support she received from her club.

"Injuries are part and parcel of football, but this one was a bit more complex and a lot of trying to diagnose what it was but I have a club in Rangers who were incredible with me, who listened to everything I was saying," she told BBC Sport NI's Nicola McCarthy.

"Sometimes you were thinking 'is it this?' or 'is it that?' but you have that constant communication and the club went above and beyond to get me on the right path and I've been playing for the past four months, so I'm in a good place.

"The mental side was hard, not knowing [what it was] and then when I got the surgery, not knowing anyone who had that surgery was quite tough, not knowing how it was going to go, but my physio Stuart [Phin] at the club, he was my right- hand man and was amazing with me.

"He made sure I didn't feel sorry for myself too much and I had full trust in him and I'm back to where I want to be, but without that support around you that doesn't happen, so super grateful."

Rafferty, who has won 54 caps for NI, returns to very different NI squad than she was last part of a year ago.

Manager Tanya Oxtoby left in November to take over at Newcastle United Women and Kris Lindsay has taken over on an interim basis for the opening two World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland and Turkey.

A host of young players such as Kascie Weir, Mia Moore, Abi Sweetlove and Aimee Kerr have since made their international debuts and NI will be without captain Simone Magill for the campaign as she is expecting her first child.

While NI look to be in a transitional phase and face a tough route to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil with Malta also in their group, Rafferty firmly believes they can qualify.

"I have no qualms that [qualifying for the World Cup] is achievable," she added.

"This World Cup would be the first one I've put my hand up for and everyone will put themselves in the best position they can for that [qualification] to happen.

"For what the Euros [in 2022] did for the girls and staff who went and the younger generation, what a World Cup could do would be phenomenal and you have that motivation so it's hard, but achievable."

Rafferty, who has captained NI before, will also be among the contenders to take on the armband again in the absence of Magill, but insists she is not focusing on who will captain the side in this window.

"It's not something that motivates me, it's an absolute honour but I just want to play my part in however that looks.

"Kris will appoint whoever he thinks and we have a close-knit group, so whoever it is we will support them completely."