Ryan Colclough

Wigan player races off for son's birth after scoring 2 goals

Published Nov. 22, 2017 10:29 a.m. ET

WIGAN, England (AP) It was better than a hat trick.

A player for English soccer team Wigan had a night to remember when he scored his second goal before dashing off the field and to the local hospital, where his girlfriend was in labor.

A picture of Ryan Colclough holding his new-born baby, Harley, while still in his soccer uniform was shared on social media by Wigan chairman David Sharpe.

Colclough said his father, sitting in the stands on Tuesday for Wigan's 3-0 win over Doncaster in the second division, ''gave me the action that the waters had broken,'' but he didn't want to come off until the ball was out of play.

''My head was a little bit battered, but I went and scored, looked at the manager and he said we'll bring you off now,'' Colclough said Wednesday of his 58th-minute goal, which he celebrated by pretending to rock a baby. ''I came off and was straight down the tunnel, grabbed my keys and my phone, and went to hospital.''

Colclough had visited the midwife that day, and was told the baby was unlikely to arrive for ''another couple of days.''

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