She's amazing – Chloe Kelly thanks Sarina Wiegman for ‘giving her hope'
The Lionesses, defending the crown they won three summers ago in the Wembley final, made it a hat-trick of knockout-round comebacks on Sunday night after Alessia Russo cancelled out Arsenal team-mate Mariona Caldentey's opener to ultimately force a shootout.
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.
'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.
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
BBC News
12 minutes ago
- BBC News
Lioness Hannah Hampton was born to be a footballer, ex-manager says
Birmingham-born Hannah Hampton is being celebrated as England's hero after the Lionesses retained their European title in the UEFA Women's Euros, beating Spain on penalties in the 24-year-old saved two penalties before Chloe Kelly stepped up to seal the who was told at a young age she couldn't play football because of a serious eye condition, dealt with a series of setbacks but rose to the top after playing for teams including Birmingham City and Aston former manager Carla Ward said she was "born to be a footballer". Julie Abbot, from Aston Villa Women's Fan Club, said there was such a "vibe" in the stadium she couldn't put into words how she felt, adding: "It was one of those where the match was going to be decided on a piece of bad luck or outstanding skill and the longer it went on, the longer I thought 'this is ours tonight, it's here for the taking'."She said Hampton came in after Mary Earps announced her shock retirement earlier this year, and had proven herself worthy, adding: "To see her so happy and the whole team is just amazing – just amazing for football and amazing for English football and promoting the game in this country." Hampton grew up in Warwickshire, and attended Erasmus Darwin Academy in Burntwood, her home village of Studley, pub landlord Daz White has screened all the games at The Swan. He said everyone always believed England could win, even when they were one goal down."There was always confidence," he said. "You couldn't move in the pub, it was absolutely heaving." Sian Osmond, assistant manager at Rugby Borough Women, said she hoped England's win would continue to drive interest in women's football in this country. "Hopefully, it inspires the next generation as well, because seeing is believing," she aged 13, an aspiring goalkeeper from Coundon, near Coventry, said: "This definitely shows how women are pretty much as good as the men, like this is inspiration for the next generation."The Rugby Town player said she had her "fingers crossed" she might one day play at a national level herself. 'Feel good' moment Monica Smith, from Spotty Pots Pottery Painting Studio in Studley, said it had been an incredible game, incredible competition and incredible team, adding: "They are the best."At her studio, she has been making Lionesses, which are now dotted all over the village, and said celebrations would continue: "We've got lots of footballs, we've got trophies, we've got all sorts of things that people can come and paint, just to commemorate this."This is a moment in time. Some of these young kids are going to remember forever what an exciting thing to have witnessed."I just think it's an incredible feel good thing that we all need." The winning players are attending a reception at Downing Street later to celebrate their victory in Switzerland and there will be an open-top bus parade through central London on the game, Hampton said the team had been "unbelievable, incredible". She said she lost track of the score when Kelly stepped up, adding: "I saw that run up and that was it, we've won. I can't believe it."She revealed she lost a nail along the way, but said: "If I have to give up a nail for the trophy, for the win, then so be it, but it's a lovely moment." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
12 minutes ago
- BBC News
Welcome to your new Huddersfield Town page
You may have already noticed a different layout and feel to your Huddersfield Town club this page, BBC Sport will serve up a bespoke club service, complete with the latest news and analysis on everything you are on the app, don't miss a beat by tapping the bell icon and signing up for news if you are on a browser, tap 'Follow' at the top to ensure the best content is always at your fingertips.
BBC News
12 minutes ago
- BBC News
How will Gyokeres fare in Premier League?
"I don't think he's the guy," former England defender Rio Ferdinand said of Viktor Gyokeres on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, when the striker was linked with Manchester United."I've watched him probably three times really, really closely. And three times I've gone: 'He ain't getting that opportunity in the Prem'. Is there enough - after he's physically matched - to get him a goal?"Take a glance at the list of leading goalscorers in Europe's top leagues in 2024-25 and the usual suspects are who is 6ft 2in, managed 39, though the Primeira Liga is not considered one of the top five leagues in question is whether Gyokeres he can be prolific in a stronger league. He has just turned 27 and is yet to play in Europe's top five divisions - hence Ferdinand's is perhaps worth noting 35% of his goals in 2024-25 came from penalties, as he successfully converted all 19 of his is little denying that Gyokeres is a goalscorer, but will he be such a success against elite-level defences?"Obviously with Arsenal's front players there's going to be competition," Bjorn Hamberg, Gyokeres' former assistant coach at Brighton and fellow Swede, told BBC Sport."I think he's committed to let go again and obviously he understands that Arsenal will be another step up in the ladder."At the same time, in his last few seasons, especially in the Champions League, you can see he is probably more prepared than ever to take that challenge on."He improves every year and normally stays fit. He's just one of those players who is good around the box, a good finisher, but he's also quite strong in transition and in big spaces."So he's quite versatile in that sense and I think that's a really big thing in the Premier League."Read more on Viktor Gyokeres
