Dutch international midfielder Daniëlle van de Donk has spoken of her immense pride after finally making her long-awaited debut for London City Lionesses, overcoming a challenging seven-month injury layoff.
A Resilient Return from Injury
The 34-year-old, who signed for the newly-promoted Women's Super League side from Lyon last summer, had not played since starting for the Netherlands in their final Euro 2025 group match against France in July. Her debut came as a second-half substitute in London City's 1-0 victory away at Sunderland in the Women's FA Cup fourth round on Saturday.
"I've never been more proud of myself," Van de Donk revealed. "No one really knows what happened because that was my choice, but I had many setbacks and it wasn't easy at all. I'm even more proud and happy to be back." The former Arsenal player described a period of doubt about her future in the game before the move to London City presented itself, requiring immense resilience to overcome physical challenges.
A Debut Decade in the Making
The appearance held special significance, coming nearly a decade after she won the FA Cup with Arsenal in 2014, before a five-year stint in France where she lifted the Champions League with Lyon in 2022. "It was super special," she said of her London City bow. "As soon as [I was] on the pitch, I'm just so happy."
The win at the Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground also marked a first victory for the club's new head coach, Eder Maestre. He praised his new signing, stating: "I like seeing her enjoying playing football again. She is very talented with lots of experience and this [her debut] is like another win."
Building for the Future
Looking ahead, Van de Donk positioned herself as part of a project at London City, who currently sit seventh in the WSL. "I feel like we're part of a building team, and especially now we're rebuilding again with a new coach, so we're trying to adapt to his playing style," she explained. The team's focus is on continuous improvement after a recent goalless draw at Liverpool in Maestre's first league game.
The victory secures London City's place in Monday evening's draw for the Women's FA Cup fifth round, which will be broadcast live on YouTube, TNT Sports, and Channel 4 Sport.
