Exclusive: Man Utd's Gabby George opens up on 'one of the hardest times' of her career, Sarina Wiegman's England advice & why representing the Red Devils makes her count her 'lucky stars'

It was almost two years ago now that George was given the devastating news of her second ACL injury in less than four years. The first came in early 2020, while she was at Everton, robbing her of the chance to play in an FA Cup final later that year. The second, though, felt particularly cruel.

The defender was just three games into her first season back at Man Utd, the club she spent the majority of her youth with until having to leave for Merseyside as a 17-year-old because of United’s lack of a women’s first team. To get the chance to return in 2023, then, was a full circle moment for someone who is also a lifelong fan of the club. She started brilliantly, too, until being forced off just minutes into a game against Leicester.

When GOAL asks if it helped having been through the process before, or whether knowing the long road ahead of her made it worse, George grimaces. “It was definitely worse,” she replies. “I think the second one was probably one of the hardest times of my life so far, in terms of football. I couldn't come to terms with it.”

Eleven long months of recovery lay ahead for George, plus the lingering impact of being sidelined for so long. “Research states that it can take up to 18 months after you do the ACL to get back to how you used to feel,” she notes.

But as the 2024-25 season progressed, after her long-awaited return in United’s season opener, George looked more and more like herself, forming a key part of the second-best defence in England as the Red Devils secured a place in Champions League qualifying and reached a third successive FA Cup final. Now, she’s keen to build on that.

“It was a tough season for me, physically and mentally,” she says. “The club were amazing in helping me look after myself and making sure that I lasted the full season. That was my aim last season, to get through. This season is to go above and beyond. I feel like I've got renewed energy and I'm ready to go. I'm on the other side now. I'm over it and we just keep moving.”

It’s not been the start to the campaign that George would’ve wanted, with a small knock ruling her out of United’s first four games, the last of those a 1-0 defeat to Brann in the first leg of their final Champions League qualifier. But she made her return in the thumping 5-1 win over London City Lionesses at the weekend, a game which also brought about a club debut for Fridolina Rolfo, the Red Devils’ marquee summer signing.

Rolfo won two Champions League titles at Barcelona, and played another final at Wolfsburg, so the club will hope she can provide a boost in their quest to beat Brann in Thursday’s return leg and secure a place in the competition’s new league phase. “She’s an amazing player with loads of experience,” beams George, who is likely to play behind the Swede on that left flank as the season progresses.

Julia Zigiotti Olme, the midfielder from Bayern Munich who George describes as “a phenomenal footballer” and one she “admires watching”, has also joined the club, alongside England star Jess Park, whose deadline day switch concluded a transfer window with less activity than some might’ve expected from United.

George, though, believes there are positives to that limited change. “Hopefully we can pick up where we left off in terms of the league and stuff, and hopefully we can keep pushing together,” she says. “We know each other a bit more and bringing in the new faces will obviously freshen that up still. We just want to keep pushing.”

United have come on plenty since reforming in 2018, firmly establishing themselves among the Women’s Super League’s best teams before winning a first major trophy at the end of the 2023-24 season, beating Tottenham in the FA Cup final. But there is still another step for them to take in order to seriously challenge for that WSL title and become a regular in the Champions League.

“I think at a club like Manchester United, the ambition talks for itself,” George says. “We do want trophies and we're going to keep working hard together to try and bring them back to Manchester. Every year, we've got to keep pushing and pushing and hopefully we can get closer and closer every time.

“We've obviously made a few signings but we already have a great base as well, so I think it's just about us as individuals continuing to improve and progress, and hopefully we can take the club to where it should be. That's the aim.”

It’s obvious that George is full of individual ambition, too. Asked if watching England’s Euro 2025 triumph lit a fire in her at all, she admits: “I've always been in a position where I always want more. That's just me as a person.” 

However, that comes alongside her clearly being delighted for her club-mates and friends who played their part in the Lionesses’ success. "I was really happy for the team," George says. "That's how I felt at that moment.

"I spoke to Sarina and she told me what I'm doing well and what I need to improve on. I think we both agree on the things that she came back with, so that's just for me to work on and keep improving as a player. I don't think you can ever stop learning and that's what I want to do, and hopefully showcase what I can do on a more consistent level.

“My biggest goal is to enjoy [this season]. I've missed out on so much football that I lost the enjoyment of the game. Last season, I enjoyed every single minute of it with this team. We have a great team, so it's just enjoyable and that's what I want to do. I think when you're enjoying your football, you'll play your best football, so that's the aim.”

It’s certainly not a cliché that spending time on the sidelines increases the love a player has for the game upon their return, and George is evidence of that. She laughs that being in the gym stresses her out, as it’s there that she spent so long during her rehab. “I just want to play football,” she says.

And there’s a bigger meaning at the heart of her doing that with United, too. This is the club she grew up supporting, this is the club she was developed by and this is the club she loves, making her desire to deliver success for it even greater.

“I love putting on the shirt every single day,” she says. “I'm in a lucky position to be able to do it for a club that I grew up with and grew up supporting. I do count my lucky stars every day and I think even on the bad days, that's what makes me happy. This is where I want to be and hopefully, we can win trophies here too.”