Tuesday 29 May 2018 08:40, UK
England's Eni Aluko says she has moved on from a "stressful, negative period" following last year's racism controversy surrounding former coach Mark Sampson.
The FA "sincerely apologised" to Aluko, as well as fellow female footballer Drew Spence, in October after evidence found the two players were subjected to "discriminatory remarks on the grounds of race" by the former England Women manager, who originally denied the allegations.
Aluko has made 104 appearances for England but has not featured since May 2016 - before the initial claims were made - while new Lionesses boss Phil Neville, appointed in January, has since confirmed he has no problem in selecting the striker if she is "scoring goals and playing well".
Speaking to the Guardian, Aluko said: "I've moved on from what was a very stressful, negative period in my life.
"I've dealt with it in the best way I could. Standing up for what you believe in and being honest, telling the truth are all very liberating things.
"Since that time I've felt very empowered by other people seeing you can stand for what you believe, even in adversity.
"Success is always the best answer to critics. When you look at some of the greatest people and players in the world they all stand for something outside their working lives."
Aluko also discussed her future in club football after she confirmed that she would be leaving Chelsea, with whom she has just completed an 'Invincibles' season, after six years and has since been linked to French side Paris Saint-Germain.
"I've achieved pretty much everything I wanted to with Chelsea except maybe the Champions League, which I could still do somewhere else.
"I love to travel and sample new cultures; the opportunity to play in Europe and learn a language is a big one.
"But there have been a lot of tears. I was crying on the pitch in Bristol. I have such a strong bond with the people I work with and questioned whether I'm ever going to experience that again with a new team, whether I'll be that happy - the doubts start creeping in."
