Mother’s Day 2022. West Ham United women’s team hosted Brighton & Hove Albion and - as she prepared to step out on the pitch - Dagný Brynjarsdóttir was surprised in the tunnel by the smile of her then three-year-old son, Brynjar, who was her mascot for the day.
That was the first time Brynjarsdóttir had walked out to a game with her son and it is a memory that will live with her forever, adding even more significance to Mother’s Day.
The 33-year-old welcomed her second child, Andreas, in February 2024 and is looking forward to spending time with her family ahead of the Hammers’ Barclays Women's Super League clash at Chelsea on Sunday.
“Being a mum is my proudest thing, my sons are my biggest achievements in life,” she said.
“I think Mother's Day reflects how well us mums do every single day, and it's not always easy being a mum. I think mums are quite hard on themselves, so I think it's nice to celebrate mums once in a year, they deserve that.
“Brynjar was a dream child while Andreas has been a bit more challenging, I guess that shows their different characters! But both of them keep me on my toes.”
Brynjar is a regular attendee of women’s team matches at Chigwell Construction Stadium and provides extra support from the stands for his Mum and her side.
“He’s (Brynjar) a reminder for me that I can be that role model for him,” said the Irons No10.
“He's been here since he was two years old and loves growing up around Chadwell Heath, around the players. That's an experience not many kids have. I’m just happy and thankful I get to give him that opportunity.
“When I fell pregnant with him, there were not many mums playing at the time. I know at the time, a lot of people doubted me and I think I showed strength, showing I'm still going to be that player, not giving up on my dream.
“Obviously, I just had Andreas last year, so it's (Mother's Day 2025) going to be special. We're playing away, so the boys will just stay at home, but I get to spend the morning with them, so that’s nice.”
The Iceland international and her side will look to carry their impressive run of form into their clash with WSL leaders Chelsea at Kingsmeadow on Sunday.
Rehanne Skinner’s team go into the game off the back of a 2-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, which followed a last-gasp draw with Manchester City, a valiant display against Arsenal and a win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
While the Blues boast an unbeaten record against the Irons, Brynjarsdóttir has twice scored against them and has challenged her team to take the confidence gained from recent games at Chigwell Construction Stadium into getting a result away from home against Sonia Bompastor’s side.
“Confidence is quite high at the moment,” she said. “We've got a lot of good points and played well against some good teams recently, so we’re on a good run. I think we just want to build on that confidence.
“We know we haven't done our best in away games, points-wise, but we have had some good spells, playing-wise. We just have to keep building on that.
“I scored once away against them (Chelsea), and once at home. They're stacked with world-class players. We know we’ll have to defend our goal as a team from the first player to the last. We also know we can score against them and that we are going to have chances. It's going to be about taking those chances.”
