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Laura Blindkilde Brown has overcome her personal battles to enjoy a swift rise through the game - Getty Images/Naomi Baker
Laura Blindkilde Brown remembers the anxiety she felt as she waited to hear whether her dream of becoming a professional footballer was over.
On the cusp of Birmingham City’s first team aged just 16, Blindkilde Brown underwent scans and testing after noticing her heartbeat was unusually rapid during training and matches.
“Sometimes when I was playing I would feel my heart beating really fast and I thought there was a problem,” Blindkilde Brown tells Telegraph Sport.
“I had to do this test where you run on a treadmill and my heart rate went to about 220 beats per minute so I knew something was wrong. Sitting in the waiting room and waiting for the results was quite scary, thinking potentially that I might not play football again if it’s this serious.
“It came back that I had supraventricular tachycardia, which is basically when there’s an extra cell behind your heart and it double beats.”
After initial fears she would need a pacemaker, Blindkilde Brown was told that her condition was treatable and she would make a quick recovery. “I had keyhole surgery and I was out for only about a week,” she explains. “Then I was back playing straight away.”
A central midfielder, Blindkilde Brown made her debut for Birmingham at the age of 16 before moving to city rivals Aston Villa ahead of her 18th birthday.
Now 21, Blindkilde Brown recalls having to adapt quickly but credits the club’s former manager Carla Ward for giving her the platform to thrive.
“I was used to playing with players at my age and then all of a sudden I was playing with grown women,” Blindkilde Brown laughs.
“I’d probably never really spoken to any of them before but Carla was definitely a big help. She gave me the opportunities as a young player and trusted me. I only have good words to say about her.
“I feel like at first I felt a bit out of my depth but then training with the players every day, you have to adapt really quickly and I definitely became more comfortable.”
In January last year, Blindkilde Brown then made the switch to Manchester City for a fee of £250,000. She was used sparingly in the second half of last season but, with City contending with Champions League football as well as domestic competitions this term, she has been afforded more opportunities.
“I came in halfway through last season so it was quite hard to adapt straight away but this season I’ve definitely settled in and become more comfortable and adapted to the style of play. I think it’s suited to me. We have to rotate the team so it gives me more opportunities to play. It gives people the chance to step up.”
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Blindkilde Brown has made key contributions to Man City this season - Getty Images /James Gill
The likes of Vivianne Miedema and Yui Hasegawa have also offered advice. “I’m competing against some of the best midfielders in the world so I’m definitely learning from them every day, seeing what they do in training.
“It’s helpful to have them around me and encouraging me. I can also go to them for help, they’re very open.”
Blindkilde Brown has impressed in the games she has played. She was called up to the senior England squad for the first time in November last year and made her debut in the Lionesses 1-0 victory against Switzerland.
“To make my debut on my first camp was surprising but it was a massive moment for me. When I was walking out it felt quite overwhelming but I was very honoured to be wearing the England shirt and singing the national anthem. It was a very proud time.”
There is, however, a scenario where Blindkilde Brown could have been playing for another country. “My mum is Danish so I did have the chance to play for them,” the midfielder, who opts to wear her Danish name “Blindkilde” on her shirt, says. “But I’m born in England and feel very English.”
Wikipedia sparks confusion
There was some confusion over Blindkilde Brown’s birthplace when she made her England debut. When the midfielder was put up for media duties ahead of the game in Sheffield, she was asked about a potential “homecoming”. Blindkilde Brown’s Wikipedia page indicated she was born in South Yorkshire, but she was in fact raised more than 100 miles away in Worcester.
“I said this to the media guy at England, everyone’s saying I’m coming back to my hometown and I was like, ‘I’m not from Sheffield!’ I don’t know why it said on the Wikipedia page I was from Sheffield. It also says it on a sticker as well that I’m from Sheffield and I’m not – I don’t sound like I’m from Sheffield!
“I’d never been to Sheffield before the game. I don’t understand where it came from. Someone has clearly written it and everyone’s gone along with it, but I’m definitely from Worcester.”
After getting a taste of international football, has Blindkilde Brown allowed herself to think about the possibility of making England’s 23-player squad for this summer’s European Championship?
“That’s something that every player would want to achieve. It would definitely be a massive honour for me but I’m not trying to get too far ahead of myself, I’m just focusing on the upcoming games we have and trying to do everything in my ability to become a better player.
“I’ve been in professional football since I was 16 and I feel like I’ve been around it a while but I’m only 21, which is still very young. I think I’ve still got so much more to come in my career.”
Manchester City play Chelsea on Sunday afternoon. Find tickets for that match and others here.
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