Former Canada goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc has told how she was forced to be apart from her newborn daughter for two weeks due to pandemic.

LeBlanc was admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties a week after having her daughter, Paris, and was told to isolate from her.

She told the BBC's World Service Sporthour: “I could not see, hold, touch anything with my baby for two more weeks and that was the hardest part for me as I’d just given birth and all I wanted to do was hold her.

“The drive to the hospital was difficult as Paris was holding my finger like babies do and every reality and false reality was racing through my mind

“I was looking at her and thinking ‘is this it?'”

LeBlanc earned 110 caps for Canada in her 18 years of playing for her country. The 40 year-old said video calls with her former teammates helped her through the difficult time.

“But one of the players came on the chat late and was like ‘wait, where’s the baby?’ and we all ended up laughing.

“As athletes we know the worst thing is having a bad game, as a goalie messing up a goal, but one of the things I came to realise was that it was just a game and this is life and death.

“Once you give birth to a child, you fall in love in a way you never knew existed.”