Vivianne Miedema says she "can't wait to tell mum we won the league" as the Manchester City forward opened up on the family matter that has been behind her recent absence.
Miedema has missed City's last two Women's Super League matches, while her team-mates held up a shirt bearing her name and squad number as they celebrated being crowned champions on Wednesday night.
The 29-year-old revealed on Thursday morning that her mother experiencing "serious complications" after undergoing chemotherapy in her battle against cancer was behind her missing the title run-in.
"The last 2.5 weeks have been really difficult for us as a family," she said on Instagram. "My mum had serious complications after her chemo treatment for cancer and has been in the ICU since.
"She's been fighting for her life, and by some miracle, she is still here. Now she's fighting hard through the small steps of recovery, although there are still many big hurdles ahead.
"Thank you all so much for the love, support, and messages
"PS. Can't wait to tell mum we won the league."
- The inside story of how Manchester City won the WSL this season
Dutch international Miedema, the leading scorer in WSL history, contributed 10 goals in 19 appearances this season as City claimed their first league title triumph since 2016.
City's coronation was confirmed after Arsenal, whose defence of their Women's Champions League title came to an end last week following a semi-final defeat by Lyon, dropped points at Brighton.
A 1-1 draw in the first of three matches in hand for the third-placed Gunners means they can no longer catch City.
