Northern Ireland captain Simone Magill has returned to national team training just four months after giving birth proving that motherhood and professional football can go hand in hand.
New purpose after baby Skye
The 31-year-old Birmingham City striker welcomed daughter Skye in May 2026 with husband Mark. She is now back fully training with the Northern Ireland squad ahead of their World Cup play-off against Portugal.
Magill is not expected to feature in the match but is building fitness and hopes to return to competitive games later in the autumn.
“Football will always be a large part of my life but it’s what I do, not who I am,” Magill said. “Ultimately, I’m Skye’s mum and that’s the most important thing.”
Family integrated into camp
In a first for the Northern Ireland set-up, Magill brought Skye and Mark into the training camp. The baby joins the team for meals and downtime, while Mark looks after her during sessions so Magill can focus fully on football. She described the arrangement as “game-changing.”
“I’m really thankful to bring Skye into this environment and show everyone that it’s possible to do both,” she explained. “You can be a mum, be a footballer – they can coexist.”
Rapid recovery and bigger goal
Magill stayed active through pregnancy and returned to the gym just four weeks after birth. She was back on the pitch after 13 weeks. Now she wants to normalize the path for other players, especially younger squad members.
“When I announced my pregnancy, a lot of people thought it was the end of my career. Absolutely not. I wanted to be a voice and showcase that these things can both exist.”
Magill, second on Northern Ireland’s all-time scoring list with 28 goals in 95 appearances and only a few caps from 100, says her biggest pride will come from inspiring the next generation both on and off the pitch.
