For Dagný Brynjarsdóttir, representing her country was something she was unsure she would get to experience again.
The 33-year-old was last called up to Iceland’s squad in April 2023 before she gave birth to her second child, Andreas, in February 2024.
The midfielder’s journey back to the pitch saw her make her West Ham United women’s team return in their pre-season match against Paris Saint-Germain in August, having not taken to the field since May 2023.
A lot of hard work, determination and patience helped her on her road to returning and Brynjarsdóttir celebrated another landmark in December as she scored her first goal since Andreas’ birth - slamming the ball home in the women’s team’s 3-0 dispatching of Southampton in the Subway® Women’s League Cup.
But now, she has achieved potentially the biggest milestone of them all: returning to Iceland’s national team squad.
Full of pride, Brynjarsdóttir flew from London to Zürich on Monday for Iceland’s UEFA Women’s Nations League fixture against Switzerland on Friday, before they take on France on Tuesday 25 February. A dream moment for her and her family.
“I’m very proud to get a call-up again,” said Brynjarsdóttir, who has made more than 100 appearances for Iceland. “For any athlete, representing their country is the biggest honour and I’m just thankful I get to do it again after giving birth to my younger son. I’ve put a lot of work in.
“I think I deserve the call-up and I’m thankful that I get the chance to be with the team and represent my country again.
“I didn’t know if I would have this opportunity again, so I’m extra thankful for that. I’m not only here because of how well I’ve trained, but because of a lot of people who have helped me from day one, on the pitch and off the pitch.
“Obviously, I wouldn’t be able to do it without my husband, or family members who have travelled over to London to babysit so I can focus on my training, and get better.
“It’s not just me who has put in the work, there are so many people behind it, but my family and friends are very supportive and proud.
“My family are still in London, so it has been a bit challenging to leave them behind, but that’s part of being a footballer. We sometimes have to make hard decisions, and that’s one of them, but they’ll be cheering me on from home. Luckily with technology today, we can FaceTime a lot, which makes it a bit easier."
The Hammers' No10, who joined the Club in January 2021, has so far trained with her teammates, whom she knows most of, and had many meetings as she looks to catch up on how Þorsteinn Halldórsson wants his team to play.
Brynjarsdóttir is one of a record 18 women’s team players away on international duty in February. Another is Seraina Piubel, who the Iceland international could go head-to-head with on Friday when her side take on Switzerland to commence their Nations League campaign.
“I know Seraina [Piubel] and one of the members of the Switzerland coaching staff, who was my coach at Portland Thorns for three years," said Brynjarsdóttir.
“I’m excited to see them, and it would be amazing if me and Seraina can both get minutes. We’ve both put in a lot of work, so I’m sure we’ll both do great. It will be good to see her on Friday.”
To view a full schedule of which West Ham United women’s team players will be playing where during the international break, click HERE.
