Elise Hughes extended interview: Palace, Wales, and the road back to football
For Elise Hughes, football has always been a way of life. From kicking a ball around with her dad, Big Pete, in Connah’s Quay, to representing Wales at just 16, her journey has been one of relentless dedication and passion.
But football, like life, has its highs and lows. For Hughes, the lowest point came with the dreaded three-letter diagnosis: ACL, an injury she sustained in the first-half of Palace’s win away at Lewes on 21st April 2024.
Hughes said: “It’s a long journey, and it's obviously a journey that quite a few female football players go through now.
“I'm lucky enough to have an amazing medical team and the facilities here to help me get through, but yeah, this is where I spent every day in the summer, just to feel this moment again.”
It was a cruel twist of fate. She had been flying for Palace, leading the Barclays Women’s Championship Golden Boot race, and cementing herself as a pivotal figure for both club and country. Then, in a single moment, everything changed.
Hughes said: “You never think it's going to happen to you. For so long, I was always quite empathetic and sympathetic to people that had done it.
“But I never understood how they felt. And to be honest, I didn't want to understand how they felt.”
The reality hit quickly. Hughes, who had spent years working her way up through the ranks, suddenly found herself on the sidelines, navigating the gruelling road to recovery.
She said: “It was obviously really tough to take. The first few weeks were such a rollercoaster for me.
“It was like, ‘you’ve won the league, you’ve done your ACL, you’ve won all the individual awards,’ then you have your operation. And then it’s like learning to walk again.”
But Hughes is nothing if not resilient. She poured herself into rehab, sacrificing her summer to ensure she could return as quickly – and as strongly – as possible.
“It was just me and my physio for like May, June, July. And we smashed it out,” she said.
Now, the striker is on the other side of that journey. The hard work has paid off, and Hughes is back, ready to make her mark in Palace’s first-ever WSL campaign.
Hughes said: “Obviously when the team got promoted, I was like, well, I want to play as much part of the WSL as I can.
“And then little things along the way then obviously motivate me even more. And I say little things, but it’s like the massive summer that Wales have got ahead.”
Her return couldn’t be better timed. Wales are preparing for a historic summer as they look forward to their first-ever appearance at the UEFA Women’s Euros, and Hughes is eager to be part of it.
“Everything now more than ever... not that I was ever taking anything for granted before, but now when you suffer such a setback at such a stage of my career, I’m obviously more ambitious and more excited and raring to go than ever."
Beyond her own playing career, Hughes is committed to growing the women’s game. Her roots in Connah’s Quay in Northern Wales remain strong, and she’s actively involved in coaching the next generation.
She said: “It was because obviously my brother plays for Connah’s Quay, so that was how I first got involved with them, my local team, the local Cymru Academy.
“And I always wanted to be involved in other aspects of football because I’m so obsessed with it.
“So, it’s not always just playing, it was then like 'how can I be involved in other aspects?' And then it fell into coaching.”
Her work has helped expand opportunities for young female players in North Wales, an area historically dominated by men’s football.
“Connah’s Quay was quite dominated in boys’ football and men’s football at the time and then I was the first female staff member there, and I think it shined a light on the fact that women play football as well.
“Now there’s hundreds and hundreds of girls that train there every week, and they’ve obviously got the 19s scholarship programme and now the women’s team,” she said.
Her work has helped expand opportunities for young female players in North Wales, an area historically dominated by men’s football.
“Connah’s Quay was quite dominated in boys’ football and men’s football at the time and then I was the first female staff member there, and I think it shined a light on the fact that women play football as well.
“Now there’s hundreds and hundreds of girls that train there every week, and they’ve obviously got the 19s scholarship programme and now the women’s team,” she said.
Now, with her return to fitness, Hughes is focused on making up for lost time. She’s ready to play her part in Palace’s Barclays Women’s Super League campaign and hopefully secure a spot in the Wales squad for this summer’s Euro 2025 tournament.
She said: “It’s actually a perfect time for me to return. I’ve got the last stretch of the season and then hopefully a busy footballing summer as well.”
For Hughes, the journey has been anything but smooth. But if there’s one thing she’s proven, it’s that she’s more than capable of overcoming any challenge that comes her way.
Palace and Wales fans alike will be thrilled to see her back where she belongs: on the pitch, putting the ball in the back of the net.