A return to doing what she loves kept Marie Höbinger positive and focused during a long-term rehabilitation that is nearing completion.
The Liverpool FC Women midfielder was ruled out of the vast majority of the past campaign due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Höbinger suffered that setback in October 2025, meaning she had to watch from the sidelines as Gareth Taylor shaped his squad’s identity.
Now training again, Höbinger is full of anticipation to pull on the Reds shirt and contribute to a team eager to continue an upward trajectory.
Liverpoolfc.com sat down with the Austria international at the pre-season training camp in Cardiff this week – read the conversation below.
Marie, you’re back in training now. How does it feel to be out on the pitch with the girls again?
It’s good to be back in training. That’s something you really work towards for a long time and it feels like all your hard work, the gym sessions and minutes alone have paid off. I’ve really enjoyed being back with my friends, and being on the pitch with people I’ve shared so many memories with is really nice.
You’re always smiling, it’s hard to get you off the training pitch sometimes. So, how difficult was the spell on the sidelines?
I just love playing football so much. I’ve missed it every day, I can’t lie. Some people maybe enjoy stepping away from football, but my focus was getting back to playing and being different or better than I was before. It was tough and focuses were completely different to what I’ve been used to all my life. It was very challenging but being at the other end of it, I also feel very proud.
What kept you going on the more difficult days during rehabilitation?
I knew I had a great rehabilitation programme and medical support that I needed. On the other side, I had a lot of support from my family. The girls play a huge part and what will really stick with me is how much they celebrated my small wins. They were there for me whether it was a good day or a bad one. The coaches also made me feel very valued, which is special.
What did you learn from watching on last season and how could it help you next season?
I could really see a lot of progress in the latter part of the season, and a lot of players got so much better. Coming back into training, it feels like everyone has upped their level. I’ve been coached so well and I’m excited to find my role in the team.
There’s a lot of new faces in the group. How have they settled in?
All of us really want to integrate the new players and show them what it means to play for this club. There are a few German-speaking friends who I knew from before and I think all the signings are going to add a lot of quality. The team spirit we have is special and that is a strength we can have over other teams. It’s my fourth season now and it feels like my safe place.
Do you set yourself any targets for the season or is it just a case of getting back playing as often as you can?
I’m super-competitive so in the first training session I probably had to remind myself to take it easy. I think it should be step by step. I want to get match-fit and my first minutes. Then as I said, find my new role in the team as so many things have changed. I just want to find my confidence again and help the team with the energy built up during months of rehab.
You’ve mentioned about changing a little bit. What do you mean by that?
I think rehabilitation has changed me as a person. I want to take more responsibility and use my experience, as we are quite a young team. As a player, we’ve changed to a possession-based team, so my role changes within that. I’m excited to play their football and grow into a player through pre-season that is happy and confident in myself. That’s when I’m at my best.
