Dagny Brynjarsdottir: Pregnant West Ham captain to miss 2023-24 season

Dagny Brynjarsdottir won her first cap for Iceland in 2010

West Ham captain Dagny Brynjarsdottir will miss the 2023-24 Women's Super League after announcing she is expecting her second child.

The Iceland midfielder, 31, joined the Hammers in January 2021 and has made 65 appearances and scored 17 goals for the club in all competitions.

She was appointed West Ham skipper in August 2022.

Brynjarsdottir gave birth to son Brynjar in June 2018 while playing for Portland Thorns in the United States.

She told West Ham TV: "From growing up supporting West Ham to becoming the club captain and then bringing my son, Brynjar, into the West Ham family, I'm delighted to announce that there will be a new addition to the West Ham family next year.

"I think it's amazing how much the club supports me with my son. Not every club would let their kid come to the training ground and on to the pitch.

"I'm very grateful that he gets to have all of these experiences with me and, because of that, he is a big West Ham fan today and will be the rest of his life."

Players in the top two tiers of women's football in England receive full wages for the first 14 weeks of maternity leave and then statutory pay after an agreement in January 2022.

But Chelsea manager Emma Hayes has said Women's Super League clubs need to do more to help players who have babies.

West Ham begin their WSL campaign with a home game against Manchester City on 1 October.