Calleigh Hedley's Journey Back to Football After Maternity Leave
Calleigh Hedley pauses for a second when she talks about away days.
"I'm not looking forward to spending whole days away from him," she admits, meaning her baby son, Luca. The goals, the flights, the grind of a long season – she can handle that. Leaving him behind is the hard part.
From maternity leave to main threat
Guernsey FC’s leading scorer is back on the pitch after missing half of last season while pregnant. The comeback is not a gentle one. She is trying to rebuild fitness, hit match sharpness and shoulder the responsibility of being the club’s main attacking threat, all while navigating sleepless nights and nap schedules.
Her safety net is close to home.
"My family are amazing, they're always helping me with Luca," she told BBC Radio Guernsey. "If I need to go to the gym or anything, they're always offering 'we'll have him for a bit so you can go do what you need to do'.
"For the away games, for the home games, they say 'we'll have him, don't worry', so it's been a massive help."
That support has allowed Hedley to chase form that was already frightening before her break. She played only eight times last season in the Southern Region Women's Football League Division One South. She still scored 16 goals. Sixth-highest scorer in the division. Half a season. Those numbers travel.
Guernsey FC, preparing for only their second campaign in the English league pyramid, know exactly what that kind of return could mean. Survival. Momentum. Maybe more.
Goals on her return – and a statement in the FA Cup
The early evidence suggests the instincts have not dulled.
In last month’s Women's FA Cup tie – Guernsey’s first-ever match in the competition – Hedley scored both goals in a 3-2 defeat to Chessington & Hook United. The first arrived almost before anyone had settled into their seats: two minutes on the clock, ball in the net.
"I was shocked," she said. "I wasn't sure I was even going to get a goal, let alone score in two minutes.
"It definitely helped me feel a bit better coming back into it, and I obviously had my family there watching and Luca was there, so it was really nice."
The result went against the Green Lionesses, but the message was clear. Their No 9 is still ruthless, still central to everything they do in the final third.
Flights, fixtures and a new reality
Now the league campaign looms. Guernsey host Bognor Regis Town on Sunday in their opening game, before a demanding stretch of three straight away fixtures.
For most squads, that means a coach journey and a packed lunch. For Guernsey, it means alarms going off before sunrise, flights to England, a game, then back on a plane the same evening. For Hedley, it also means time away from Luca.
"I don't know if I'll be able to commit to every single away game," she said. "But I will definitely be trying to do some, but it'll be difficult having a day away from him."
That is the balance now: the pull of the penalty area against the pull of home. Guernsey will hope the goals keep flowing. Hedley will be counting the hours until she’s back at the door, boots in her bag, son in her arms.
