Hannah Blundell will watch Man Utd attempt to defend their FA Cup title against Chelsea from the stands having given birth in March but she is already excited to return despite saying small number of mum's in WSL remains a taboo subject
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Hannah Blundell during a school visit with the FA Cup earlier this week.
Hannah Blundell during a school visit with the FA Cup earlier this week.
Hannah Blundell is not unusual among footballers in being more nervous on the sidelines than the pitch.
The Manchester United full-back, who gave birth to daughter Romy in March, says she will feel “100 per cent anxious” when watching today’s FA Cup final against Chelsea from the stands.
And while Blundell jokes that “it will be nice to have a break” from parenting because Wembley forbids babies from attending, she would much prefer to affect the action.
“It will be strange,” she says. “Watching a game from the stands is so hard, it’s frustrating not being able to help. But I’m really excited to be there. I’m confident in them. On the pitch you can control and influence the game but I won’t be able to do anything. I’ll feel everything a fan does.”
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Blundell has been in regular contact with her team-mates as they prepare to defend the trophy they won by defeating Tottenham 4-0 last season.
And she’s already been dropping in at training to work with the medical staff ahead of becoming the first mum to play for United next season.
“I went in this week to do a little bit with the physios and gym stuff but I spoke to the girls and everyone was chilled,” she says, though they are underdogs against her former club and recently crowned league champions.
“With Chelsea they have always had serial winners, even when I was there. They just have that winning mentality to always find a way. But again I’m confident we can get a win. We just need to focus on ourselves and make sure we’ll put in a good performance.”
Marc Skinner's team are looking to defend the Cup they won last season.
Marc Skinner's team are looking to defend the Cup they won last season.
Being away has left Blundell more motivated than ever and when it is time to return next season she wants to “cherish every moment” – even if it carries a host of unknowns.
She says United have been “very supportive” since the moment she informed the club doctor and later her team-mates having initially faked an injury in the early weeks.
The club quickly activated a 12-month option to extend her contract – which would have expired this summer – and the medical and sports science staff have been speaking to counterparts at other clubs to learn about best practices for returning postpartum.
That includes Arsenal, whose defender Amanda Ilestedt returned in January after giving birth last August.
“It’s still a taboo subject in a sense because there’s not that many (mums in the WSL),” Blundell continues. “But it’s good that everyone can learn from each other to help myself and others coming back in the best physical shape.
“I guess I will in a sense be a role model if it goes well but we can learn from each other and hopefully it can be normalised going forward.”
For now, however, she will be an uneasy spectator as Marc Skinner’s team look to inflict a first domestic defeat of the season on Chelsea.
“This is our third consecutive year (in the final), that’s a massive help,” she says. “The first year we lost, the second we won.
“Most girls have felt both sides of it. You never want to lose but I think we’ve got such characters in the group there is no reason not to be confident.”
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