England and Arsenal star Casey Stoney reveals joy at having twins with her partner

 
Twin joy: Casey Stoney retweeted this image of the twins

England footballer Casey Stoney today revealed she is having twins with her gay partner.

The 32-year-old said her desire to start a family was one of the main reasons she decided to she speak publicly about her sexuality for the first time earlier this year.

Stoney, who also captained Team GB at London 2012, said her football-playing girlfriend Megan Harris is carrying the twins as “her desire to be a mum far outweighed her ambitions in football”.

Revealing the news in her BBC column today, Stoney said the news was “the scariest and most amazing moment of my life”.

She said: “One of the reasons I came out about my sexuality last February was because my partner and I were planning on having a family and I am so excited to say we are expecting twins later this year.

Casey Stoney's partner Megan Harris plays for Lincoln Ladies FC

“We have been planning this for a while and I just wanted people to know who I really was and what I was before we took the next step of having a family together. Now it is close to becoming a reality, it will be the most amazing moment of my life.

“I’m not going to lie, learning we were going to have twins came as a bit of a shock. When we had the first scan, the nurse told us Megan was pregnant and then 20 seconds later said: ‘With twins.’ It was the scariest and most amazing moment of my life.

Joy of twins: Casey Stoney and partner Megan Harris

“We don’t know their sex yet but I’m not sure they will have any other choice than to follow football. As Megan is a Manchester United fan, I’ve already been told they will be wearing club baby grows so I’ve lost the war on that one.”

Stoney, who played with Harris at Lincoln Ladies, said she was “not ashamed of who I am” hoped there would not be any negativity about her news.

She revealed she had already spoken to the Football Association, England manager Mark Sampson and her club Arsenal, who have all given her their “full backing”.

But she said being a mother in women’s football was still “a taboo” and criticised the “serious lack of support” for players.

She said: “Being gay parents may not be that common in football but, in my view, as long as children have the love and support they need, then it shouldn’t matter whether they are brought up by two mums, two dads or a mum and a dad. What does a normal family look like now anyway? There isn’t one and I would hope there would be no negativity around our situation.

Casey Stoney in action for England

“Aside from being gay in football, there is no getting away from the fact that being a mother in women’s football is also a taboo.

“I will become the only mother in the current England squad and I know other players in the set-up who have been put off having children because of the impact it might have on their football careers.

“I think that is sad because every woman has the right to have a family and they shouldn’t need to put it off until the end of their careers.”

Harris today posted images of the scan online, saying: “So this is the most exciting news ever.....and the two reasons why I’m not kicking a ball around this season #twins.”

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