Wales' Middleton-patel Grateful For Bronze's Autism Openness

Safia Middleton-Patel says she has taken assurance from Lucy Bronze aft nan England and Chelsea full-back opened up connected surviving pinch autism and ADHD.

Euro 2022 victor Bronze discussed nan effect of nan diagnoses with erstwhile Lionesses team-mate Alex Scott successful March.

Wales and Manchester United goalkeeper Middleton-Patel - who revealed successful 2023 that she had been diagnosed pinch autism - says she has taken inspiration from 131-cap world Bronze's openness connected nan subject.

"Lucy Bronze, ever since I was astatine nan Liverpool academy, I'd ever look up to her," Middleton-Patel said connected 5 Live Sport.

"When she came retired pinch her diagnoses, for me, it was eye-opening.

"We're not nan same, nan test isn't nan same, but we're nan aforesaid personification successful a high-level sporting environment.

"For her to travel out, it gives maine much confidence, it gives maine an idol.

"I want to beryllium an idol for people, she's now mine, truthful successful a way, it's fixed maine much assurance to beryllium myself and beryllium much unfastened pinch people."

Middleton-Patel recovered herself firmly successful nan spotlight astatine nan property of conscionable 18 arsenic she made some her nine debut connected indebtedness astatine Coventry United and her elder world front for Wales successful nan aforesaid week successful February 2023.

But nan whirlwind play proved overwhelming for nan young changeable stopper who sought thief aft admitting she "couldn't function" successful nan aftermath of nan 2 landmark occasions.

"I was 18 and I was astatine United's academy. There was 1 week successful peculiar that I conscionable deed a ceramic wall," she added.

"I made my Championship debut pinch Coventry, a mates of days later I made my debut pinch Wales successful nan elder squad. I retrieve flying location and it conscionable felt for illustration everything collapsed astir me.

"I couldn't function, I couldn't speak, I couldn't modulate my temperature.

"I retrieve sitting connected my furniture crying and my mum came successful and said 'what's happening?'. The first point I said was 'I request help'.

"I was being truthful difficult connected myself and struggling pinch elemental regular activities. I said 'I deliberation there's thing incorrect pinch me' but now I look astatine it, location was thing incorrect pinch me, it was conscionable nan measurement my encephalon worked."

Middleton-Patel has featured conscionable erstwhile for Manchester United this season, pinch her sole quality for Marc Skinner's broadside this word coming successful nan League Cup.

She precocious made her 3rd world start, producing a drawstring of captious saves as Wales earned a highly-impressive 1-1 tie pinch Sweden successful Gothenburg successful nan Nations League.

The 21-year-old is now vying for action astatine nan upcoming Euro 2025 tourney successful Switzerland, wherever Rhian Wilkinson's Wales look Netherlands, France and defending champions England successful nan group stage.

And Middleton-Patel says she is relishing locking horns pinch neighbours England this summer.

"I'm conscionable happy. I americium excited but I don't want to get excessively excited," added Middleton-Patel.

"I'm trying to support cool, but I'm conscionable truthful proud to beryllium Welsh.

"When we sewage that draw, we were each ecstatic. It's 1 point going to nan Euros, but it's different point playing nan champions and team-mates.

"Mary [Earps] is astir apt 1 of my biggest inspirations and to perchance play her, it'll beryllium unreal."

The afloat section of Wired for Sport: All astir neurodiversity successful elite athletes connected 5 Live Sport is disposable now