Northern Ireland Captain Magill Announces Pregnancy

Northern Ireland skipper and Birmingham City striker Simone Magill has announced she is pregnant.

The 31-year-old shared nan news pinch her Birmingham team-mates connected Wednesday and announced it connected societal media on pinch her husband, Mark.

"Something tells maine adjacent twelvemonth is going to beryllium nan champion 1 yet," Magill posted connected Instagram.

Magill will not characteristic for Birmingham for nan remainder of nan play aliases for Northern Ireland successful nan 2027 World Cup qualifiers, which statesman successful March.

WSL2 nine Birmingham City opportunity Magill will proceed "light training" pinch nan squad and that nan club's aesculapian and capacity unit will support her "throughout her gestation and beyond".

Amy Merricks, Magill's caput coach astatine Birmingham, said she would "make an astonishing parent".

"We're looking guardant to supporting her connected this travel done her gestation and arsenic her babe comes into nan world, we're excited to person a Bluenose baby," Merricks said.

"We want to support Si successful and astir nan situation arsenic overmuch arsenic possible.

"She wants to stay crisp and play a captious portion successful this play and we're looking guardant to supporting her pinch her journey."

Magill missed Northern Ireland's Nations League play-off conclusion by Iceland astatine nan extremity of October and past played for Birmingham successful September because of a hep issue.

She won nan first of her 95 NI caps arsenic a teen successful 2010 and was named skipper by Tanya Oxtoby successful October 2024.

Magill played a cardinal domiciled successful Northern Ireland's qualification for Euro 2022 - her country's first awesome tourney - but sustained a knee wounded successful nan first lucifer against Norway.