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I watched Hannah Hampton during England’s triumph over Spain at the Women’s Euro 2025 final with a smile on my face.

For a start, it isn’t often that we see players at the opposite end of the pitch steal the spotlight. Yet Hannah did just that. 

Winning the Euros with England was only the tip of the iceberg. 

From a near-flawless display throughout regulation and extra time against Sweden in the semi-final, to her heroics in two penalty shootouts, where she pulled off four decisive saves, Hannah Hampton delivered moments that defined the tournament.

Her story, however, wasn’t always one of glory. This was a player who was once told she would never make it in professional football as a child. 

This was the same youth player left out of England squads, and yet fought her way back to becoming the first-choice goalkeeper and unseating England legend Mary Earps.

But how did it all unfold for the 24-year-old who still hasn’t reached her prime?

A Vision in Jeopardy 

Hannah Alice Hampton was born on the 16th of November 2000 to English parents in Birmingham City, England, but she spent many of her formative football years in north-eastern Spain, in Villarreal.

Her journey into the football world was not the usual tapestry of an athlete who developed an interest in football beyond a hobby. She was spotted by a local academy coach and gifted with a breakthrough.

Hampton was born with a rare squint, which left her eyes misaligned-Strabismus. This medical condition meant she could not measure distance. 

For instance, if she were to pour water into a cup, she had to hold it, or she would spill it. By the age of three, she had already undergone three surgeries to correct her vision, but none were successful.

In the midst of that frustration, doctors told her family professional sport was not meant for someone like her. However, Hampton was never one to be defined by limitations.

Despite the doctors’ diagnosis, Hampton found herself drawn to football. She discovered her love for the game in the playground of her school in Spain. 

In that same school where her parents busied themselves with duties as teachers, Hampton kept herself occupied by kicking around one of the inflatable balls.

The weekends in Castellon, where she lived, were no different. According to Hampton, there was a local astroturf pitch where people would gather at night. You could never tell who would show up, but as she puts it, “we would turn it into a game and have a bit of a kickabout.”

“Nothing too serious,” she called it. But that casual kickabout in Castellon, and on the playgrounds of her school, were foundational to the journey of a girl who is now one of the best goalkeepers in women’s football.

Youth Football at Villarreal & Stoke City 

During one of those casual kickabouts at school, a scout from Villarreal Academy, who was also a parent, spotted Hannah Hampton. What he saw watching her play was enough to deem her suitable for his academy. 

Soon after, Hampton was enrolled in the Villarreal youth system as a striker. That marked the first real turning point in her football journey. 

She began spending much of her time at the academy after school and on weekends. Professional football wasn’t even a target at that time, but she embraced every training session, soaking in the fundamentals of the game. 

For five years, Hampton learned how to play football. She focused on polishing her touch and building tactical awareness.

But just before her 11th birthday, her family had to move back to England. 

This time, she joined Stoke City’s Centre of Excellence. Even then, the idea of playing professionally never came to her mind. She simply went with it, taking each challenge as it came.

Then, at age 12, came a twist that would forever alter her path.

It was the classic scenario of the goalkeeper getting injured, and someone stepping in. Hannah volunteered to do so, and that seemingly small decision was the twist that would shape who she is today.

Her first display between the posts was so impressive that it caught the attention of a scout from England’s U15 side. The irony, however, was that Hampton still hadn’t decided where she belonged on the pitch. 

At Stoke, she played upfront, relishing the thrill of scoring goals. But for England, she wore the gloves. She did so for two seasons, until she finally specialized as a goalkeeper at 14.

Looking back, that spontaneous decision to raise her hand when nobody else would was the defining choice that carved her destiny, shaping her into the goalkeeper England would one day rely on.

Hannah Hampton’s Rise in Birmingham 

Hampton thrived at Stoke, but football is not a silent affair; there’s always someone taking notes. 

After her transition to goalkeeping, it would take two more years for her world to tilt on its axis—and that twist came in the form of Marc Skinner.

The former Academy Director at Birmingham City had spotted her during a match. By the time the final whistle blew, Skinner knew he didn’t need weeks of observation or endless trial sessions.

One game was enough. Hampton was someone who could become integral to the team’s future.

So at 16, Hannah made a move back to her childhood city for the first time in 13 years. 

At Birmingham City, based on her youth performances and calm assurance during occasional senior appearances, it was clear Hannah was going from strength to strength.

Back then, the Birmingham prodigy had caught the attention of clubs across England, but Birmingham City, knowing the magnitude of the talent they held, was not ready to let her go. At 18, Hannah Hampton signed her first professional contract with the club.

Her breakthrough, however, would not come immediately. Ann-Katrin Berger, a German international and one of the most respected goalkeepers in the game, was ahead of her in the pecking order. For Hannah, that meant the bench became her familiar companion.

But that experience sharpened her hunger. From arriving early at the training ground to studying every save and decision while training with Berger, Hampton quietly prepared for her moment.

When it finally came, she was ready. Berger’s departure opened the door Hampton had long knocked upon, and she stepped through with the confidence of someone who had been waiting her whole life.

Hampton played 12 of the 20 WSL matches during the 2018–19 season, conceded 17 league goals, the third lowest in the league, and capped it off with Birmingham’s Young Player of the Season award.

In a sport where goalkeepers were often overlooked while attackers dominated the spotlight, Hannah Hampton forced her way into the conversation.

Coming of Age at Aston Villa 

After making her mark at Birmingham, Hannah knew it was high time she took a bigger step. And in the summer of 2021, she embraced a new challenge: Aston Villa.

Stepping into the West Midlands rivals opened the door to a different strata of performances. During her two seasons at Villa, Hannah Hampton made 35 WSL appearances and 43 in all competitions. 

But her standout performances came during her second season at the club.

One of such fascinating displays was against her future club in a 2022 WSL clash, which further underlined Hampton’s status as a star in the making.

First denying a shot from Sam Kerr at close range, she quickly regained composure to pull off a remarkable double save by blocking Guro Reiten’s strike.

That save made Aston Villa boss Carla Ward unable to contain her excitement, “Hannah, superb!”

But Ward was not the only one mesmerized by the 21-year-old’s quick-fire saves. England head coach Sarina Wiegman had already taken notice.

Despite Villa being a mid-table side not known for defensive organization, Hannah’s commanding shot-stopping and proactive play stood out. 

🎶 Super Hannah Hampton 🎶@hannahhampton_ pulling out an incredible double save 😱#BarclaysFAWSL @AVWFCOfficial pic.twitter.com/IGEYE00yM8

— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) March 13, 2022

She frequently roamed beyond her penalty area to support Villa’s build-up, playing a key role in the club achieving a record fifth-place finish in the 2022–23 WSL season.

Her consistency translated into five clean sheets in 15 league games during that campaign, and in a league known for glorifying goals, her work rate forced people to sit up and notice. 

Hampton’s role as a goalkeeper went beyond shot-stopping; she also gained prominence for orchestrating the build-up of play from the back. With her command of the box and steady distribution under intense pressure, Hampton was pivotal in shaping how games unfold for both club and country.

Those two years at Villa forged a formidable talent who would soon become one of England’s most commanding presences in the team. And Hampton repaid it with the kind of performances that earned her freedom to choose her next step. The football world followed, this time to Stamford Bridge.

The Move to Chelsea 

When Hannah Hampton set foot in North London in 2023, it was to join Chelsea, one of the best women’s football teams.

Many wondered if she would blend quietly as a role player into a star-studded squad or rise to the challenge and become a mainstay. 

Those who had watched her rise through the ranks to become Villa’s No.1 at just 18 knew she wasn’t one to back down. And it didn’t take long before she produced performances that made her impossible to ignore.

In her very first season, Hampton was pivotal to Chelsea’s fifth consecutive Women’s Super League title. Unlike past triumphs, the race went down to the wire, and Chelsea tied on points with Manchester City, separated only by goal difference. At the heart of that margin was Hannah Hampton.

From the fingertips saves, the pinpoint crosses to her teammates at the opposite end of the pitch, it was almost difficult to tell whether that was truly her first season at the club.

One of her outstanding performances was against Brighton, where she pulled off a string of decisive stops in a 4-2 win, even earning Emma Hayes’s rare praise. It was clear: Hampton was not one to be doubted, and Emma’s words settled it.

That form carried into the 2024/25 opener against former club Aston Villa, where Hannah’s commanding presence and fingertip stops secured Chelsea a 1-0 victory. By then, she was already pushing Mary Earps for England’s No.1 shirt.

The prophecy soon became reality. Off the back of Chelsea’s unbeaten sixth WSL title, League Cup, and FA Cup treble, Hannah claimed the WSL Golden Glove with 13 clean sheets as she wrapped up a season that confirmed her as England’s future between the posts.

Early Steps with England 

Hannah Hampton’s journey with the England national team began during her time at Stoke City, when she was still alternating between outfield roles at club level and playing as a goalkeeper for England’s U15s.

However, she didn’t fully transition into a goalkeeper until two years later. At Stoke, there were times she would play one half in goal and the other as a striker, proof of her adaptability and hunger to play wherever needed.

Hannah’s progress through England’s age groups was swift. At 18, she featured in the UEFA Women’s U19 Championship, keeping clean sheets against Sweden and Italy, and earning Player of the Match in a narrow loss to Italy. 

Within a year, she was called up to the senior team as a training player, watching from the bench behind Mary Earps.

Patience became her greatest test. Even after her strong performance against Spain in the Arnold Clark Cup, she often returned to the bench. 

In 2023, she was part of the Women’s World Cup squad but didn’t feature. It was painful, but not new; Hampton knew delays were never denials.

In 2024 came a shift. For the first time in two years, she started a competitive match for England. She looked impossible to ignore, and Sarina Wiegman admitted Hampton was “a little bit ahead” of Earps in the race for the No. 1 shirt.

Then came the defining twist: Mary Earps stepped away just weeks before Euro 2025. 

England’s hopes suddenly rested on Hannah Hampton. Not only did she survive the pressure, she thrived. Playing all seven matches, Hannah produced tournament-defining saves, stopping four penalties along the way, including two in the final.

England’s Euro triumph was about goals, yes, but it was also about Hannah Hampton’s gloves, her resilience, and her unyielding desire to win it all.

What’s Next For Hannah Hampton?

Hampton’s remarkable journey through the streets of Castellon, where it all began, to becoming a first-choice goalkeeper at the age of 18, to making four penalty saves and spearheading England into their first national win on foreign soil in her first major national tournament, has been nothing short of remarkable.

While Hampton’s story draws lots of people—the goalkeeper who was once told she could never play—her story is another stark reminder that no matter what you might be told, there is always hope.  

The 2025 Women’s Euros is over, but Hampton’s presence and prescience aren’t dwindling anytime soon. 

Hampton is 24 years old and just about to enter her prime. With the 2027 Women’s World Cup approaching, and the WSL set to kick off in September, coupled with her ability to avoid serious injuries over the years, Hampton might just be primed for a long spell as England and Chelsea’s No. 1.

And Hampton is on top of the world, and it doesn’t seem like she’s stopping anytime soon.