A MOSSLEY teenager is putting experiences alongside some of the country’s top footballers to good use after overcoming issues to score highly in her GCSEs.
Gracie Naggs admits she missed ‘probably 40 per cent’ of her final two years of learning at Mossley Hollins High School because of back problems.
But while her dreams of playing for Manchester City ended, it did not stop her getting the grades that earned her a place at Connell College, which is situated next to Etihad Campus.
And after seeing what physio staff, both at City and the NHS, did to help her through, she is looking to follow them.
After gaining two sevens, four sixes, a five and a four, Gracie, who plays as a goalkeeper, said: “I had really bad back pain, starting in year nine, and it caused me to be in hospital quite a lot and miss loads of school.
“I think my attendance was like 70 per cent or something like that. It was really low and then we just couldn’t find out what the problem was.
“I had loads of investigations done and an operation as well, trying to figure out what it was. That caused me to have like a bit of time off as well yeah.
“I finished about probably 40 per cent of the learning from year nine to year 11 and had to quit football at Manchester City in January because I wanted to prioritise my learning.
“But when I was at my City, I spent so much time with the physios it just made me want to be one, being around the people and seeing what they do.
“At one point, Mateo Kovacic was in the gym at the same time as me. We shared it with the women’s first team as well in some seasons.
“I’m actually really glad of going through it from that point of view.
“Now I’m going to study at Connell for a sports science BTEC, then after that I’ll hopefully go to university and do physiotherapy or a subject along that line.
“I’m definitely looking to get into that sort of career eventually and even though I was in City’s academy, they treated me like I was a first team player, which was really good of them.”
Gracie’s time at Mossley Hollins and Manchester City may now be over, but she has not let of her footballing dreams completely.
For she has now signed for Bury FC’s women’s team, which plays in the North West Women’s Regional League.
She added: “I’ve started easing myself back into it now.”