Ellie Roebuck: From recovering from a stroke to becoming FC Barcelona's new star

Barça women's team is not slowing down. Far from being satisfied with another successful season, in which they have been crowned champions of the Champions League, the Liga-F, the Copa de la Reina and the Spanish Super Cup, they have continued to strengthen their squad to continue making history.

Following the arrival of the Polish Ewa Pajor, in exchange for Mariona Candentey, Barcelona's latest signing is the young goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck – an English international who arrives on a free transfer to Barcelona after 8 seasons at Manchester City, another team boasting world-class talent across the park.

Her signing will fill the gap left by Sandra Paños, who has embarked on a new adventure in Mexico's Liga MX Femenil with Club América after nine seasons at Barça. But she will have to fight with Cata Coll for the starting position.

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Roebuck's arrival at FC Barcelona was made official on June 19, signing a two-year contract with the club until June 30, 2026. She said she had one goal in mind, according to Marca: winning the Champions League, a title that has eluded her as a citizen.

Considered the natural successor to the legendary Mary Earps with the Lionesses, Roebuck, born in Sheffield on 23 September 1999, is 1.74 meters tall and, according to the Barça website, is described as "a goalkeeper who stands out for her footwork" and highlights "her courage as a personality trait to overcome high pressure and find space".

At her presentation, the player herself said that she liked "playing with the ball at her feet" and pointed out that "this is the perfect team to do that with. They like to have possession and play from the back, so I hope to bring my style," the Barcelona team website reported.

The dream of playing is also a dream come true for the Englishwoman, as she demonstrated by posting a photo of herself as a child wearing the Barça shirt on her social networks. "I'm very excited. I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. I'm very happy to be here," she also said at her presentation.

"You could say that everything has fallen into place now, it was the perfect time to come. I want to test myself and live a new experience. There is no better place to do it than here, so I am grateful for the opportunity," Roebuck concluded at her presentation.

Roebuck came through the youth ranks at Manchester City before signing her first professional contract with the FA Women's Super League club in January 2018, becoming part of the Sky Blues' first team.

In total, she has played 126 games wearing the Citizen shirt, in which she has picked up a number of important titles: winning the English league, three FA Cups and three FA Women's League Cups. Add those to the European Championships and two Arnold Clark Cups that she has won with the English national team, and it's clear you have a proven winner in your ranks.

She also played for the Lionesses in their youth teams, achieving third place at the 2018 U-20 Women's World Cup held in France. That same year, she made her debut with the senior team in a match against Austria.

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But behind Ellie Roebuck's sporting success is a story of overcoming serious adversity. Last year, Roebuck suffered a stroke that forced her to stay away from the pitch during the 2023-2024 season, as she revealed on her Instagram account in March 2024.

"I hadn't been feeling well for some time, I had some tests and they discovered that I had suffered a stroke in my occipital lobe," the British footballer explained at the beginning of her statement addressed to her more than 210,000 followers.

"Fortunately, I have no permanent damage to either my brain function or my vision. I have had many weeks of follow-up tests, appointments with specialists, and with the support of the club's medical team I am on the road to recovery," she continued.

"It's great to be back with the girls, working on my rehab, and most importantly feeling like a normal Ellie again. It's been a really tough time, but with the support of my family I'm now really positive and excited about my return to the pitch," she said.

She concluded her statement by saying that "life can present you with unexpected challenges, and if this year has taught me anything, it is that I am strong and I am going to give everything I have for what I love most." Something she will do as a player for FC Barcelona, a club with which she is beginning a new and exciting stage in her life.

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