Calleigh Hedley is used to leading the line. This season, she’s leading two.
Guernsey FC’s prolific forward is back in green after becoming a mother to son Luca, and her new reality is as demanding as any high press: sleepless nights, early flights, gym sessions squeezed between feeds and family drop-offs.
“I’m not looking forward to spending whole days away from him,” she admits. The honesty lands with the same force as one of her finishes. There’s no gloss here, just a player trying to stitch together elite commitment with a life that has changed completely.
Hedley missed half of last season after becoming pregnant, but when she did play, she was ruthless. Eight appearances. Sixteen goals. She still finished as the sixth-highest scorer in the Southern Region Women’s Football League Division One South. The numbers tell you what Guernsey FC already know: when she’s on the pitch, the goal threat spikes.
Staying on the Pitch
Now the challenge is staying there.
Her return has been built on a support network as important as any midfield. “My family are amazing, they’re always helping me with Luca,” she told BBC Radio Guernsey. If she needs to get to the gym, they step in. If she needs to train, they step in again. “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 help is already paying off.
Women’s FA Cup
Last month, Guernsey stepped into new territory with their first-ever appearance in the Women’s FA Cup. The Green Lionesses fell 3-2 at home to Chessington & Hook United, but the afternoon still felt like a statement. Hedley scored both of Guernsey’s goals, the first just two minutes after kick-off.
“I was shocked,” she said. “I wasn’t sure I was even going to get a goal, let alone score in two minutes.”
For a player returning after pregnancy, it was more than just a fast start. It was confirmation that her instincts hadn’t dulled, that the penalty area still feels like home. With her family watching and Luca in the crowd, the moment carried a different kind of weight.
Looking Ahead
That cutting edge will be crucial as Guernsey FC head into only their second season in the English league pyramid. The ambition is clear: build on the foundations of year one, grow into the division, and let Hedley’s goals drag them higher.
But the fixture list is unforgiving. The Green Lionesses open their league campaign at home to Bognor Regis Town on Sunday, then face three straight away games. For most squads, that means a few hours on a coach. For Guernsey, it means early alarms, airport queues and evening flights back to the island.
Those days away from home now carry a different cost.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to commit to every single away game,” Hedley concedes. She will try to make some of them, to be there when Guernsey need her most, but the reality is stark: “It’ll be difficult having a day away from him.”
Guernsey FC will manage minutes, manage travel, manage expectations. Hedley will manage all of that and motherhood. The club’s second season in the pyramid is a test of progression; for their leading scorer, it’s a test of balance.
On the pitch, the evidence is already there. Two goals in the FA Cup, the old instincts firing, the same ruthless touch in front of goal. Off it, a baby boy waiting at home.
The Green Lionesses want to climb. Their main striker is ready to help them – as long as the flights, the fixtures and a little boy named Luca will let her.
