Hannah Hampton: From England exile to Euro 2025 breakout star after rising from Mary Earps’ shadow

In March 2021, Hannah Hampton sat deflated on the Birmingham Metropolis pitch, unable to carry again the tears after lacking out on choice for the Crew GB squad for that summer season’s Olympic Video games.

Hampton obtained the information an hour forward of a 4-0 hammering by Everton and struggled by means of the 90 minutes because the 20-year-old who had develop into accustomed to overachieving for her age was introduced right down to earth with a bang.

These tears had been again just a little over 4 years later in Basel on Sunday night time because the sheer pleasure of England’s historic Euro 2025 triumph was uncaged following six gruelling, not all the time gratifying however unfalteringly resilient performances.

The magnitude of the 24-year-old’s private development since that depressing night time within the West Midlands will take a while longer to sink in.

Hampton, after all, performed each minute of the Lionesses’ journey in Switzerland this summer season, saving two penalties within the quarter-final win over Sweden earlier than doing the identical towards Spain and incomes herself participant of the match trophies in each.

Michelle Agyemang took residence the Finest Younger Participant of the Event however Hampton has emerged as England’s breakout star, the most recent triumph towards adversity which has dogged her in additional methods than one.

The attention situation which impacts Hampton’s depth notion and threatened her footballing hopes from a younger age has been well-covered. However the self-inflicted exile from each England and membership responsibility months after the final Euros has been forgotten, deservedly, by means of her actions since.

In October 2022 she was dropped for seven video games in a row by her then-club Aston Villa and neglected of the England squad over perspective points. She had solely two worldwide caps again then, however it was reported she could by no means add a 3rd underneath Sarina Wiegman. Issues turned bitter sufficient that there have been recommendations she might stroll away from the sport altogether.

Quick ahead to this summer season, and Wiegman was keen to see Mary Earps retire from worldwide soccer quite than assure her the No 1 jersey forward of Hampton, who had simply lifted back-to-back WSL titles with Chelsea however had but to play a event recreation for her nation.

“You can’t let all the media scrutiny win,” Hampton mentioned within the build-up to the Euros. “I think if you do that it just adds fuel to the fire and I wasn’t willing to accept that.”

Crew-mates now queue as much as heap reward on the goalkeeper who prevented extra xG than any of her 18 rivals between the sticks in Switzerland.

“She’s had a great tournament,” captain Leah Williamson instructed Sky Sports activities within the wake of Sunday’s victory. Earps’ shock retirement rocked England as a lot for her cultural significance as her worldwide expertise, and shone the highlight firmly on Hampton in a means even these detrimental headlines hadn’t.

It was a watershed second which might make or break her. She went into the finals as England’s solely capped goalkeeper, with the added stress of being a assured starter however no less than spared the noise of continued hypothesis over her rivalry with Earps.

And all that was earlier than shedding her grandfather two days earlier than the beginning of the event, which she solely revealed after her heroics this weekend.

Midway by means of her event debut she had already picked the ball out of her personal web twice. However she, very like England as a complete, was to not be cowed.

It was thought Hampton had been most well-liked to Earps due to her high quality on the ball. A drilled through-ball to Alessia Russo for England’s opener within the 4-0 thrashing of the Netherlands in England’s subsequent recreation, and labelled because the go of the event by my colleague Laura Hunter, kickstarted their journey to Basel.

Alongside the best way she created 4 possibilities for her team-mates, double that of some other goalkeeper. She was integral to Wiegman’s new-found direct strategy, finishing 15 passes into the ultimate third – the perfect any of her rivals might handle was 5.

But it surely would not be proper for her to be remembered solely for her playmaking. Not even for ending the quarter-final win over Sweden wielding a tissue up her nostril to stem a battle wound, a Twenty first-century tackle the Terry Butcher bandage.

Within the loneliest place in soccer, Hampton confirmed maturity and quietness and a stage of consistency which was removed from assured given the highlight on her. She could play for England’s most profitable membership however as Earps has proven since 2022, the malaise across the Lionesses is a distinct ball recreation.

Agyemang’s heroics towards Italy took the headlines however would not have made a distinction had Hampton not saved out what appeared a sure aim from Emma Severini minutes earlier.

Bear in mind, she has nonetheless made solely 22 appearances for the Lionesses. Simply 13 when Wiegman’s squad was named in June. And has needed to observe on from essentially the most famend goalkeeper within the historical past of girls’s soccer.

Her childhood eye situation was meant to write down her off as an expert athlete, not to mention a world-class goalkeeper. Her earlier misdemeanours could have threatened her membership and worldwide profession, however ended up shaping her into a greater participant and particular person, within the phrases of her colleagues.

In a squad which as made resilience its tagline, Hampton’s declare is as robust as anybody’s.

“She had to step up and I think she has been amazing. It’s a little bit like a fairytale,” was Wiegman’s evaluation. “Every player has their story, and hers has been incredible.”

Within the e-book store of soccer the story of Hampton’s profession is without doubt one of the feel-good reads of the summer season. However along with her England profession nonetheless in its infancy and a 3rd consecutive WSL title up for grabs at membership stage, the sequel could also be even higher.