Matildas star Kyah Simon opens up about her 483 days of hell

Matildas star Kyah Simon has detailed her '483 days of hell' after making a triumphant return from injury last weekend for the Central Coast Mariners.

Simon, 32, took to Instagram to share her journey, which started after she tore the ACL in her knee in October 2022 when playing for Tottenham in the Women's Super League.

The veteran striker was still named in the Matildas squad for the Women's World Cup last year, but a calf complaint in camp ensured she was a frustrated spectator as Australia reached the semi-finals.

Privately, Simon feared she may never play again as she endured repeated setbacks, but last Sunday she was a late substitute in the Mariners' 2-0 win over Newcastle Jets in the A-League Women's competition.

Her cameo ended 483 days of frustration where Simon saw her resolve tested after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and meniscus.

'To be completely honest I doubted I would ever get here, I lost count of the times this rehab broke me, mentally, physically and emotionally,' Simon posted on Instagram.

'Chronic pain in my knee, barely sleeping for the first three months from the discomfort, numerous specialist appointments....scans, injections, then tearing my calf right at the start of the World Cup.

'It was difficult to fathom, I was doing all the right things to get myself back on the park, but there just seemed to be setback after setback.'

Simon went on to pay tribute to the Mariners for their patience, as well as the club's physiotherapy team, who 'worked tirelessly' to ensure she could be in a position to eventually return to the pitch.

She also thanked her family and partner Faye Bryson, who is also on the books of the Central Coast after joining from Reading.

Simon has a football CV many players would envy - aside from stints in the A-League with the Central Coast, Western Sydney Wanderers, Melbourne City and Sydney FC, she was a previous standout in the US with the likes of Boston Breakers and Houston Dash, as well as PSV in Holland.

She signed with the Mariners this year in a full circle moment, after making her debut for the club in 2008 when a raw teenager.

Football fans will have the chance to next see Simon in action when Central Coast tackle high-flying Western United on February 3 at North Hobart Oval in Tasmania.