Calleigh Hedley's Goals and Motherhood Journey
Calleigh Hedley laughs when she talks about goals. The numbers come easily. The time away from her son does not.
"I'm not looking forward to spending whole days away from him," Guernsey FC's prolific forward admits. Motherhood has changed everything – except her instinct in front of goal.
Hedley is back leading the line after giving birth to her son, Luca, having missed half of last season once she found out she was pregnant. Now every training session, every gym visit, every away trip has to be planned around nap times and childcare.
Goals, gaps and a new reality
On the pitch, she barely missed a beat. Despite playing only eight games last season, Hedley still plundered 16 goals, finishing as the sixth-highest scorer in the Southern Region Women's Football League Division One South. Those numbers turned heads across the division. Inside Guernsey's camp, they simply confirmed what they already knew – if she plays, she scores.
Off the pitch, life is less straightforward. The routine is no longer just boots, bag, and bus. It's bottles, nappies, and making sure Luca is settled before she even thinks about a warm-up.
"My family are amazing, they're always helping me with Luca," she told BBC Radio Guernsey. When she needs to get to the gym, they step in. When Guernsey have a home game, or a flight to catch for an away day, the offer is the same: "We'll have him, don't worry."
That support has become her safety net. Without it, the comeback would be a very different story.
A flying restart in the cup
If there were any doubts about how quickly Hedley would find her rhythm again, they vanished almost as soon as the ball rolled in Guernsey's first-ever Women's FA Cup tie last month.
Two minutes into their home clash with Chessington & Hook United, she struck. A sharp finish, a familiar celebration, and a rush of emotion that had little to do with tactics or technique.
"I was shocked," she admitted. "I wasn't sure I was even going to get a goal, let alone score in two minutes."
She added a second later in the 3-2 defeat, a loss on paper but a powerful statement for a club only in their second season in the English league pyramid. For Hedley, it was more than a brace. It was proof that the old instincts still live comfortably alongside the new responsibilities.
"It definitely helped me feel a bit better coming back into it," she said. Her family watched from the stands. Luca was there too. That mattered as much as the scoreboard.
Flights, fixtures and tough choices
Now comes the grind of the league campaign. The Green Lionesses open at home to Bognor Regis Town on Sunday, then face three straight away fixtures. For most players, that means early alarms and a long day of travel. For Hedley, it means something else: hours away from her baby.
Those away days start with dawn flights to England and end with late returns to Guernsey. Entire days gone. Entire days without Luca.
"I don't know if I'll be able to commit to every single away game," she said. She wants to. The competitive edge hasn’t dulled. But the pull of home is stronger than any fixture list.
"I will definitely be trying to do some," she added, realistic about the strain. "But it'll be difficult having a day away from him."
Guernsey FC know exactly what she gives them when she can play: movement, menace, and goals in bunches. How often she can take to the pitch this season will depend on more than fitness and form. It will depend on flights, family, and one small boy called Luca – and how many days his mother is willing to spend an ocean away.
