She's amazing – Chloe Kelly thanks Sarina Wiegman for ‘giving her hope'
Substitute Kelly – who netted the extra-time winner in the Euro 2022 final – cooly converted after Hannah Hampton made two spectacular saves and Salma Paralluelo missed, writing more personal history and a satisfying ending to a fairy-tale 2025, one that began with the 27-year-old doubting if she would even make this squad.
Made for the big moments ✨ pic.twitter.com/8qRxMYJb1C
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 27, 2025
'She's amazing,' said Kelly, asked about a coach who has now led teams to three consecutive European trophies.
'She is an incredible woman. What she's done for this country, we should all be so grateful. What she has done for me individually, she gave me hope when I probably didn't have any, and she gave me an opportunity to represent my country again.'
At the beginning of this year, Kelly was still at Manchester City, lacking playing time, and so unhappy that she took to social media to express her wish to leave the club and a situation she shared at the time had 'a huge impact on not only my career but my mental wellbeing', even considering whether or not she wanted to stay in the game.
Kelly was left out of Sarina Wiegman's first squad due to a lack of minutes after securing a deadline-day loan move to Arsenal but was called up as an injury replacement in February and has enjoyed revelatory tournament, cementing herself as the most superlative of English super-subs.
'There were a lot of tears at full time,' said Kelly, 'Especially when I saw my family, because they are the people that got me through those dark moments and I am so grateful to be out the back end. If that's a story to tell someone who might be experiencing the same, then tough times don't last.
'Right around the corner was the Champions League final, I won that, and now a Euros final.
'So thank you to everyone who wrote me off. I'm grateful.'
Kelly was rewarded with a permanent deal at Arsenal after her impressive loan spell.
She added: 'I knew that I had to get game time, and representing England is never a given,' said Kelly. 'But what (Sarina) has done for the women's game, not just in England, but in the Netherlands, the whole women's game, she's taken it to another level.'
It was Kelly's cross that teed up Russo for the 57th-minute equaliser on Sunday, and it was her deliveries that allowed Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang to level late in their quarter-final with Sweden, ultimately setting up their first dramatic shootout.
Kelly's composed spot-kick was an anomaly in that error-strewn afair, and – though she revealed after Sunday's trophy lift that she had missed three penalties in training – she stepped up and fired home with the same remarkable composure again in the final, once again bearing the weight of England's expectations.
England's Chloe Kelly celebrates after scoring the winning penalty (Peter Byrne/PA)
Asked if Kelly's coolness was even coachable, Wiegman said: 'I think it's a little bit of both. It says something about the team environment and it says a lot about her character. Everyone brings something different, and she brings this.'
Wiegman added: 'Every player has their own story, and I think every story is incredible on its own, but for her most of the stories are out in the open.
'I'm so happy for her. She has been fighting to come back and be at her highest level. She just wanted to take that penalty and celebrate and dance, but to be able to score that penalty under that pressure is very impressive.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Arsenal beaten by Tottenham as Viktor Gyokeres makes debut
Gyokeres was named on the bench by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta days after being able to seal a big-money transfer to the Premier League club. Arteta turned to Gyokeres with 14 minutes left of the friendly and with Arsenal behind after Pape Sarr's long-range effort on the stroke of half-time, but Swedish forward Gyokeres was a largely isolated figure and failed to stop a 1-0 loss. After a flurry of early Arsenal set-pieces in the first north London derby to be played outside of England, Spurs' Pedro Porro hit the post in the ninth minute direct from a corner. Outrageous from Pape Sarr 😮💨 Don't miss the action – watch the second half live on SPURSPLAY 📺 — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 31, 2025 Wilson Odobert and Richarlison also struck the woodwork for Tottenham during a first half which seemed destined to end goalless until Sarr's sublime intervention. Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya raced out to pass to Myles Lewis-Skelly, who was dispossessed and Sarr was alert to chip into the empty net from close to the halfway line in the 45th minute. Chances were few and far between in the second half before Arteta turned to his bench after Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and summer recruit Martin Zubimendi had been wasteful in front of goal. Gyokeres was introduced for Havertz in the 76th minute and while he fashioned a late missed chance for Zubimendi, the former Sporting Lisbon attacker's first appearance for Arsenal ended in defeat.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Lottie Woad five shots off pace after AIG Women's Open first round
Surrey sensation Woad carded a level-par 72 at a blustery Royal Porthcawl on a day the 21-year-old sensation was under huge scrutiny and Mimi Rhodes shot 69 to finish as the top English player. Woad entered the final major of the year as tournament favourite, despite this being only her second event as a professional. England's Lottie Woad is five shots off the lead after the opening day at Royal Porthcawl (Nigel French/PA) She had won her first at the Women's Scottish Open last weekend, a remarkable success coming on the back of victory at the Irish Open and a tied-third finish in The Evian Championship in her final weeks as an amateur. Woad, playing alongside the last two Open champions Lydia Ko and Lillia Vu, drew large galleries on the South Wales links and showed battling qualities despite not playing her best golf. Ko signed for a 73 and Vu 74 as Woad had 10 pars, four birdies and four bogeys in tough conditions. Woad drained a 20-foot putt to birdie the opening hole, but found a greenside bunker at the third and dropped a shot after failing to keep her chip on the green. Another shot went at the fifth, but Woad holed a long-range putt at the sixth to get back to par. A birdie for Lottie Woad… She's already making moves at Royal Porthcawl 👀 — AIG Women's Open (@AIGWomensOpen) July 31, 2025 Wayward tee shots at the 11th and 15th cost Woad further strokes, but a fine approach to the 14th produced a birdie and another to loud cheers came at the par-five 18th. 'I knew I had to get back to even,' Woad told Sky Sports. 'I'm off early (on Friday) and I'll just try a get a good score together. 'It's a great test, definitely challenges you. If you hit a bad shot you're going to be punished.' Rhodes played in the 2024 Curtis Cup before turning professional and has enjoyed a spectacular year on the Ladies European Tour with three victories. England's Mimi Rhodes put herself into contention at the AIG Women's Open with an opening round of 69 (Nigel French/PA) The 23-year-old from Bath added an eagle at the ninth to four birdies for a fine three-under par score of 69 to share fourth place. Rhodes said: 'I've had a few up and down weeks in the last few weeks, so I'm really happy to be striking it well and putting at my best again. 'I was coming in fresh and open-minded, it was so fun to have so many friends and family here supporting me.' Japanese players dominated the top of the leaderboard with Takeda and Okayama firing 67s and Miyu Yamashita recording five birdies and an eagle in a round of 68. Darcey Harry delivers! A birdie from the home favourite and the fans at Royal Porthcawl are loving every second. 🏴 — AIG Women's Open (@AIGWomensOpen) July 31, 2025 Three more Japanese players – Chisato Iwai, Mao Saigo and Shiho Kuwaki – were in a big bunch of players on 69. World number one Nelly Korda and home favourite Darcey Harry, from nearby Penarth and a Royal Porthcawl member, were in a group at two under-par. Georgia Hall, the 2018 Open champion, shot a one-under par 70 and fellow English player Charley Hull carded a topsy-turvy 73. Hull recovered from a double bogey six at the second, and being three-over through three, with five birdies in six holes. Four consecutive bogeys on the back nine dropped her down the field but a birdie at the 18th moved her within seven shots of the leaders.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Gus Atkinson shines but inconsistent England fail to punish India at Oval
Atkinson was handed his first appearance of the series on home turf at the Kia Oval, returning from a hamstring injury with little more than a club appearance for Spencer CC and one tune-up for Surrey's second XI under his belt. But in the absence of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse – the captain out injured and the latter pair rested – Atkinson stood out from the crowd on an otherwise erratic performance from the hosts. He took two wickets and swooped to run out danger man Shubman Gill for 21, with India scrapping to 204 for six in bowler-friendly conditions. England won another toss in helpful conditions (Ben Whitley/PA) There was a late sting in the tail for the hosts as Chris Woakes suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder in the field. His participated in the rest of the match looks highly doubtful, placing an even bigger burden on a fragile seam unit. While Atkinson took the opportunity to remind the selectors what they have been missing over the past four games, bowling with pace and discipline for figures of 19-7-31-2, it was a different story for England's other returning quicks on the most helpful surface of the summer. The recalled Josh Tongue turned in a perplexing performance, sending down a baffling pick'n'mix of wayward deliveries punctuated by two virtually unplayable balls that accounted for Sai Sudharsan and Ravindra Jadeja. Both batters were undone by gems, speared in from round the wicket and seaming just enough to flick the edge. Beyond that he lacked any sense of control, frequently failing to make India play and sending down three separate sets of five wides. Jamie Overton, back for a second cap three years after his first, was also wayward and lacked cutting edge as his 16 overs cost a leaky 66. A strong day's work to kick off the final Test of the series 🙌 — England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 31, 2025 Although England's position at the end of a rain-reduced day was respectable, they were guilty of making poor use of the murky clouds and a green-tinged pitch offering good pace and carry. Stokes, Archer and Carse, all of whom spilled plenty of sweat on lethargic tracks, must have been cursing their bad luck. Stokes' stand-in Ollie Pope benefitted from Gill's fifth consecutive loss at the toss and eagerly inserted the opposition as the floodlights kicked into action. Atkinson was on target from the off at a venue he knows well, snaring Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw courtesy of a judicious DRS referral. It was Pope's first ever successful review, ending a streak of 14 unsuccessful calls, and he celebrated just as much as his bowler after ending that sequence. Woakes, the sole ever-present in the English attack, picked up a second when the dogged KL Rahul was drawn out of his comfort zone and chopped a cut shot into his stumps. Shubman Gill was run out (Ben Whitley/PA) But a lack of consistent pressure from Tongue and Overton allowed India to wriggle off the hook to 72 for two when showers brought an early lunch. The teams did not get back on until 3pm and they were off for rain again less than half-an-hour later. But that slim window was all Atkinson needed to make his presence felt again. He was bowling to India's emphatically in-form captain Gill when a ridiculous attempt to steal a single presented an opening. Sudharsan refused to be the sacrificial lamb and sent Gill back, allowing Atkinson to extend his follow-through, pick-up and hurl down the stumps for a gift of a wicket. Chris Woakes is currently off the field after sustaining a suspected shoulder injury while diving for the ball by the boundary. Wishing you all the best, Woakesy 👊 — England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 31, 2025 Gill had arrived at the crease on 722 runs at an average of just over 90 for the series – within sight of Sunil Gavaskar's Indian record of 774 – and departed courtesy of a dreadful self-inflicted wound. The weather eventually cleared to allow an extended final session and England picked up another three scalps despite continuing with their hit-and-miss offerings. At his worst Tongue looked well below the level but on two occasions he mustered something the great James Anderson would have been proud of. Sudharsan and Jadeja, who did not know which side of the wicket the next ball was coming from, could do nothing but succumb. Atkinson followed up with a hard-earned second, Dhruv Jurel fencing to Harry Brook at second slip one ball after surviving a tight lbw shout. Woakes' injury, which saw him crying out in pain after he tumbled retrieving the ball on the boundary rope, left England with a headache to resolve as Karun Nair ticked off a calm 52no to nudge his side past 200.
