Essendon Football Club would like to congratulate Andrew Welsh and his wife Kendell on the safe arrival of their first child, baby girl Maya.

Maya was born on Tuesday with both mum and baby doing well.

“I am head over heels with my little Princess Maya Welsh,” he tweeted on Tuesday night.

Welsh played 162 games in defence for the Bombes from 2002 – 2011 before being forced to retire due to a number of injury setbacks.

He currently works on Channel Sevens football broadcast as a boundary rider.