Simone Magill returns to Northern Ireland camp with baby daughter as she champions motherhood in football

Magill brings family life into the heart of Northern Ireland camp

Simone Magill is back training with Northern Ireland four months after giving birth to her daughter, Skye, and is using her return to make a wider point: motherhood and a football career can go hand in hand.

The Birmingham City striker is with the squad ahead of its World Cup play-off against Portugal. She is not yet ready to play, but has joined camp with Skye and her husband, Mark, after discussing the arrangements with manager Michael McArdle. The family’s presence has allowed Magill to train while Mark looks after their daughter, and to spend downtime with both her family and team-mates.

“I'm a mum first and foremost and that is the highest title that I will ever have,” Magill told BBC Sport. She described motherhood as “the greatest joy” of her life, while acknowledging that returning to football can be difficult and overwhelming.

Support helps make a comeback possible

Magill said the Irish FA and her Northern Ireland team-mates had made her return easier, with Skye and Mark included in the camp routine. She said the arrangement had been “game-changing”, giving her the chance to focus on football without giving up the time and care she wants to give her daughter.

“If I didn't have that support then it almost questions, ‘can I still play football if I can't bring her?’”

The 31-year-old stopped playing matches after discovering she was pregnant, but continued training and gym work until a few weeks before Skye’s birth. She resumed gym work four weeks after the birth and returned to the pitch after 13 weeks. Now training fully again, she hopes to return to match action later in the autumn.

Magill said she and Mark had always wanted to start a family and had to take football out of the decision. She recalled that some people assumed her pregnancy would end her playing career, but said she wanted to show that the two roles “can both co-exist”.

A visible example for the next generation

Magill, who is five appearances short of 100 caps for Northern Ireland and is the team’s second-highest scorer, said she hopes one day to carry Skye onto the pitch. She knows her daughter may not remember these early days, but wants her to be able to look back at the work that went into her return.

Defender Sarah McFadden, who returned after having her second child in 2024, has been a role model for Magill. Magill hopes her own experience will help younger players see that parenthood need not end an international career. “I've always wanted to inspire people on the pitch,” she said, “but hopefully this is something I've done off the pitch that could also inspire future generations.”