Manchester United defender Hannah Blundell says she feels like a "trailblazer" after making her return seven months after giving birth and has encouraged more sportswomen to follow her lead.
The 31-year-old came on as a substitute during her side's 3-2 Women's Super League (WSL) win at Brighton last week, making her the first Manchester United player in the professional era to play after giving birth.
Blundell delivered her daughter Romi by caesarean section on 31 March and her return seven months later came 533 days after her previous appearance.
In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Blundell said she is adjusting to being a "trailblazer" but wants her experience to inspire other sportswomen.
"It's kind of a new chapter for me but something that I'm really happy to be a part of - something I really want to push that more women do in the game, and that they come back and are still able to play football," said Blundell.
"Because yes, football is a short career but also having a family is something that a lot of people want to do, and they shouldn't not have to do it because of playing football.
"Thankfully we are getting to a stage where more women are having children and then getting back into the game, which is lovely to see."
Blundell, who joined from Chelsea in 2021, was a regular starter for Manchester United in her first three seasons and was a starter as the club lifted their first FA Cup in May 2024.
Four months later United announced she was pregnant with her first child, and Blundell says at times she wondered whether she would be the same athlete on her return.
"I was sort of like 'what if I don't come back as the same player? What if my body doesn't react positively to having a baby?'" said Blundell.
"But I think women's bodies are incredible. What our bodies can go through and bounce back I think is amazing, and I think should be shown a lot more."
Blundell started building her fitness again in July, before making appearances for United's under-21s in September.
She made the matchday squad against Chelsea on 3 October and remained an unused substitute against Valerenga, Everton and Atletico Madrid last month before finally making her comeback against Brighton.
Blundell hopes her journey from pregnancy to returning to first-team football will help inspire a community which will make it easier for women to follow a similar path.
"I just hope people look at it and think 'I can do that'. And it doesn't stop them and gives them a worry - it's kind of like the more people do it," said Blundell.
"I also hope it builds a community within different sports - that we all come together and kind of build a pathway for women who have babies in elite and semi-professional sport, or just standard life. That we can come back and be the same player we were, or even better."
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed
