It's been a mixed year for rising football star Leah Williamson but she is determined to put her injury woes behind her and help Arsenal to next season's FA Women's Super League title.

At the start of the year the 18-year-old picked up the England Women's Youth Player of the Year award before later being crowned PFA Young Women's Player of the Year.

However, two ankle injuries meant playing time with the Gunners was restricted and she couldn't make the kind of mark she wanted to on the first team.

But she says that the injuries have made her mentally tough and she is determined to come back better than ever next term.

“I have had a tough season but there have definitely been areas that have been positive for me and my development,” said Williamson, who is an SSE Next Generation athlete.

“I had two major injuries though and that is never going to be a good thing for a footballer."

“If you had asked me at the start of the year then I would have said everything was great because I won the PFA young women's player of the year and the England women's youth player award."

“That was brilliant for me because it was just so nice to be recognized for the hard work I have put in because I love football."

“I did my ligaments in separate ankles though and those injuries kept me out for months at a time and that was frustrating."

“When football is your life and it's all you are doing then to have that taken away is difficult but I think I learned from those experiences.”

While the league title might have evaded Arsenal this season – the Gunners finished third behind Manchester City and champions Chelsea – there was some silverware at the end of the campaign.

A 3-0 victory over Notts County saw them lift the Continental Cup and Williamson admits it was crucial that her side finished on a high.

“We finished the season off with some silverware and I think that's really important for a club like Arsenal,” she added.

“Traditionally this club is about winning games and winning trophies in the men's team and the women's so it was important that we did that."

“There are some big challenges for us as a team and a lot of good sides in the league so next season we need to be back and better than ever."

“Hopefully I can just keep developing and can help the team to win titles because that's what we all want to do.”

SSE’s Next Generation programme partners with SportsAid to provide financial support and training to the sports stars of the future. Keep up to date with the latest @SSENextGen