STEPH HOUGHTON ANNOUNCES PREGNANCY WITH HUSBAND STEPHEN DARBY

Steph Houghton, the former England footballer and BBC Sport pundit, has announced she is expecting her first child with her husband Stephen Darby. The couple shared the news on Instagram on Saturday, 25 July, posting a photograph of a heart-shaped cake with "Oh baby" written in icing, surrounded by lit candles, dried flowers and ultrasound images. Houghton wrote: "Half of You. Half of Me. Our family will soon be three!" The announcement indicated the child will be born before the end of 2026.

Houghton, 38, made more than 100 appearances as a defender for Manchester City during a decade with the club and was part of the England squad that finished runner-up in the FIFA Women's World Cup. Darby, 37, is a former footballer who played as a right-back for Derby County, Liverpool, Rochdale, Bolton and Bradford City. The couple married in 2018, the same year Darby was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Houghton shared the pregnancy announcement to 257,000 Instagram followers.

The post drew congratulatory responses from television presenter Helen Skelton and footballers including Alex Greenwood and Alex Scott, who offered their best wishes to the couple. Houghton and Darby have previously spoken publicly about their experiences adapting to his motor neurone disease diagnosis, describing periods of difficulty alongside more positive times.