The magic of Christmas is very much alive for West Ham United women’s team midfielder Dagný Brynjarsdóttir.
The 33-year-old gave birth to her second child, Andreas, in February and cannot wait for her son to experience his first Christmas, which will be in Iceland - her home country.
Following Andreas’ birth, Brynjarsdóttir returned to competitive action against Manchester United at Old Trafford on 21 September, which marked her first appearance in the Barclays Women’s Super League for 16 months.
The Iceland international was always going to have to be patient on her journey back to full fitness, but was rewarded in the penultimate match before the Christmas break as she netted the Hammers’ third goal in a comfortable 3-0 success at home to Southampton in the Subway Women’s League Cup.
Brynjarsdóttir slammed the ball home from close range following Camila Sáez’s lay-off - a ‘special feeling’ that will stay with her forever. And her first goal postpartum was the perfect way to head into the festive break, when she will get to spend valuable time in Iceland with her husband and two children, Brynjar and Andreas.
She said: “In Iceland we celebrate Christmas on the evening of 24 December, but then over the next few days we have family dinners with my side and my husband’s side, so it’s going to be quite busy!
“I’m looking forward to the four of us doing Christmas, but it’s also good to have the wider family there as well.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve absolutely loved Christmas, but I think when you have children you get the excitement all over again.
“My eldest son is six, which is the perfect age for Christmas, and sometimes I feel like I’m back as a ten-year-old. I’m experiencing all of the excitement through him and it’s so nice to see the smiles on my kid’s faces.
“I’m looking forward to when my younger son sees Santa Claus because he will be screaming!”
As well as celebrating Christmas on 24 December, Iceland also have a number of other traditions, including having 13 Santa Clauses: ‘The Yule Lads’.
Brynjarsdóttir’s family also eat Skata, a type of fish that… well… let’s say it has an acquired taste.
“The smell is so bad that you can’t really cook it inside your house,” said the Hammers’ No10.
“It’s not something I would eat apart from the day before Christmas. I’ve been having it since I can remember, it’s part of our family’s tradition.
“We also put a shoe in our window on 11 December, and then the countdown to Christmas starts. You just get a small gift on that first day, a lollypop for example, and then the last Santa Claus comes on the morning of 24 December with a big present.
“We’ll go to my mum’s house for lunch where my sister and her family will be, as well as my grandma. We eat a pudding that’s made out of rice which we put an almond in, and whoever gets the almond gets a gift as well! So, there’s a lot of excitement.”
Dagný Brynjarsdóttir's festive favourites...
What is your favourite Christmas song?
It is Icelandic, it’s called ‘Jólin eru að koma’, which means ‘Christmas is coming’.
What is the best part of a Christmas meal?
Growing up for many years we ate Turkey as a family at Christmas, so I thought that was big and the best thing. Now, when there’s only two adults, a six-year-old and a baby, I think a whole Turkey might be a bit big for us!
Some people eat doves in Iceland. My dad tried to make us eat it once for Christmas but me and my siblings said ‘absolutely not’, but a lot of Icelandic people do.
What is one thing on your Christmas list this year?
I’ve asked for weights so I can do gym work in my house!
What is the best Christmas present you’ve ever received?
It’s probably when I was ten or eleven years old and I got the Icelandic national team kit for the first time. There was no-one on the back, at the time it was quite hard to get a name printed.
Which member of the squad would you most want to spend Christmas with?
That’s a tough one! I’d probably say Shannon [Cooke] because she’s really good in the kitchen. I’m not a big fan of cooking, so my husband does the Christmas dinner and I do the sides. I feel like if I was to celebrate Christmas with Shannon, she could help out in the kitchen and I could play with my kids!
What is your New Year’s resolution?
I want to try to be more in the moment, not thinking about the past or thinking too much about the future. Time flies, and I need to be in the moment.
