Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton defied odds to become Lionesses hero with eye condition that means she struggles to catch ball

The Irish Sun

6 days ago

HANNAH HAMPTON became the toast of the nation on Thursday - despite being told by doctors she couldn't be a footballer.
The 24-year-old goalkeeper, complete with
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Hannah Hampton booked England's semi-final place after saving Smilla Holmberg's penalty
Credit: AP
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The Lionesses beat Sweden 3-2 on penalties
Credit: Getty
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Hampton was swarmed by her team-mates after the shootout
Credit: Alamy
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The Chelsea stopper saved England from elimination - with a bloody nose
Credit: Getty
The
But it was never supposed to be this way for Hampton, who has
The Birmingham-born ace was born with a
A trio of surgeries by the time she was three failed to solve the issue but there was no stopping our super stopper as she refused to let the condition stop her from joining Stoke City's centre of excellence.
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But there was another shock in store for her when a check-up at the doctor's uncovered another issue when she was aged 11.
Hampton was told that she had a depth perception problem, which means she has difficulties with judging distances and spatial
relationships
.
Medics told her becoming a pro footballer - never mind a
GOALKEEPER
- was out of the question as they urged her to consider something different.
But nothing could stop Hampton from achieving her dream, even if it meant she often ended up hurting herself.
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She explained how she suffered 'a lot of broken fingers' and
She told i Paper: 'I've had to adjust my set position to have my hands out to take the ball.
'Trying to catch a ball is quite hard!'
Fans stunned as BBC presenter asks Lionesses keeper Hannah Hampton about 'tampon up nose' in live TV interview
While she has managed to get to grips with the problem on the pitch, there are still issues in day-to-day life.
Especially when it comes to making drinks.
She told ex-England goalkeeper
'The girls do it to me all the time at training: 'Can you make me a cup of tea?' And hold the cup, saying, 'Can I have some milk, please?'. I'll just spill it on their shoes and then they moan at me. 'Well, it's your own fault, isn't it?''
Hampton admits she feels self-conscious about snaps of herself showing her eyes from a certain angle.
And she has been told that there is an op that can be performed to straighten her eyes, although her vision would be unchanged and it would be done for aesthetic purposes only.
When pouring a glass of water, I'll miss the glass if I'm not holding it.
Hampton
Ben Foster's Fozcast podcast
It takes a brave person to speak openly about living with this condition, but for an
But like
She said: 'I wasn't supposed to play and I wasn't allowed to do certain
jobs
.
'It was always my passion to do sport and it was my dream. I've always told the younger generation that if you can't follow your own dreams, what are you going to do in life? You've got to follow your dreams.'
Hampton already has one European Championship winners' medal from 2022 when she was backup to Earps.
And she is targeting achieving another dream out in
I told her, 'You only need one nostril girl!'
Chloe Kelly
Post-match
She said: 'I've always gone through life trying to prove people wrong.
'I was told from a young age that I couldn't play
football
, that it wouldn't be a profession I could pursue.
'The doctors told my parents that (and yet) I'm here right now.'
And it's not only supporters that she has become a big hit with.
After her shootout heroics last night, team-mate
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Chloe Kelly scored one of the three penalties in the shootout
Credit: Getty
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Kelly could not hide her love and admiration for Hampton
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Kelly, who set up two goals to make it 2-2 and smashed in one of England's penalties, said: 'Hannah was unbelievable. She is unreal.
'I told her, 'You only need one nostril girl!' She's incredible, she took one in the face and then bounced back. To do that in a penalty shootout is class.'
Not, as she spoke about previously, that nosebleeds have any effect on her.
Hampton joked: 'To be honest, me and nosebleeds never go well. Me and the doctor have some great
history
with having to go to hospital and stuff.
'So as soon as he came over and I say, 'Doctor, my nose is bleeding,' and he's thinking not again. But it's fine, I'm better without one nostril now.'
And she believes 'proper
England
is back' after they rallied from behind to eliminate
Sweden
.
Hampton, who now has
Italy
in her sights, added: 'We're getting in the right direction. Everyone would be putting their bodies on the line, literally, you can see that out there. Everyone is a bit battered and bruised.
'You know everyone has got your back out there and tackles were made when they needed to be.'