Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema has urged players not to be “ashamed” of taking a break after returning from leave.
Miedema is the Women’s Super League all-time top scorer with 74 and her country’s top scorer with 95.
“We’re always supposed to go, go, go,” she told the BBC’s Behind the Goals podcast.
“A lot of players probably don’t feel free to say ‘okay, I need a break.’ which, in hindsight, I should have done so much sooner.
“If it’s not possible to deliver what you need to do at that time, please take a break or work with someone on it. Talk it out and don’t be ashamed. Just take your time and it will be back at some point.”
The striker, who has scored seven times for Arsenal this season, helped her country win Euro 2017.
However, she suffered with Covid in this year’s title defense in England, with the host nation lifting the trophy.
“I ended up being sick in my bed for 10 days,” she explained. “I felt really exhausted. I didn’t feel like I could reach my level.
“Sometimes if it gets too big the best thing to do is reset. Obviously I’m glad I had the chance to do that through Arsenal, through the national team as well.”
