Alex Morgan 're-energised' ahead of return to the USWNT for the 2021 SheBelieves Cup

U.S. football star Alex Morgan says she suffered "a lot of symptoms" of Covid-19, but now fully fit and "re-energised" ahead of the SheBelieves Cup in Orlando, Florida,

The Olympic gold medallist contracted the coronavirus at the end of 2020 and missed a January training camp for the United States women's national soccer team (USWNT).

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday (11th February) ahead of the tournament, Morgan said:

"I was fairly sick. Me and my whole family got it. We were together 10,12,14 days just recovering. Sleeping as much as we could. Fighting off fever for a few days."

It took Morgan three weeks to recover, but the 31-year-old is now fit for selection ahead of the competition.

The games will be hosted at the Exploria Stadium with the USA going up against Canada in their first game on February 18.

They will face Brazil on February 21 and then Argentina on February 24.

Alex Morgan: A new energy for competition

With Morgan's spell in England with Tottenham coming to an end, she's back on U.S. soil with a refreshed mindset.

The birth of her first child, Charlie, combined with the pandemic, meant she's not had the amount of game time of seasons in the past. Her move to England to get gametime in the Women's Super League (WSL) was a stepping stone on the road back to full match fitness.

"Over [the past] year and half, I haven’t played that many games… if there is a silver lining in this, I think all of our bodies could have done with a break."

It's also had a mental benefit.

"It did re-spark that passion for the game… I definitely feel re-energised…. It’s really exciting for me."

SheBelieves Cup: Argentina replace Japan

Argentina were called up to the competition after Japan pulled out of the tournament due to concerns about the pandemic.

The United States are top of the world rankings and, along with Canada and Brazil, have already qualified for the Olympic tournament in Tokyo scheduled for this summer.

The U.S. have won the last two Women's World Cups, in 2015 and 2019, but are looking to re-claim Olympic gold having lost to Sweden in the quarter-finals at Rio 2016.

It was their first early exit from the Games, having won four Olympic golds since women's football was added in 1996.