England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has revealed the non-public heartache she carried all through Euro 2025, sharing that her grandfather handed away simply two days earlier than the match started.
The 24-year-old Chelsea star performed a pivotal function within the Lionesses’ success, producing two essential saves within the penalty shootout as England defeated Spain 3-1 within the ultimate after a 1-1 attract further time.
Her heroic show earned her the participant of the match award and capped a standout marketing campaign.
On Monday, Hampton posted on Instagram with a photograph of her inexperienced England shirt, which had “grandpa” written contained in the collar, and shared an emotional tribute.
“Expensive Grandpa. Two days earlier than the largest match of my life, you left.
“It nonetheless doesn’t really feel actual. I stored considering after I’d name nannie I’d hear your voice once more, one in all your jokes, or a kind of little feedback you’d make that one way or the other stated all the things with out saying a lot in any respect.
“You have been one in all my greatest supporters. You believed in me earlier than I even knew what this journey would seem like. You have been all the time there: watching, encouraging, educating. You taught me a lot, not nearly soccer, however about life. About staying grounded, working onerous, being resilient and doing issues the correct means.
“I miss our chats. I miss you saying, ‘solely us athletes perceive’, all the time with a little bit smirk such as you have been in on one thing particular. And also you have been. You bought it. You understood what this meant to me. You understood what it took.
“It breaks my coronary heart that you simply didn’t get to see me stroll out for our nation at my first main match. One thing you dreamed of for me, one thing we talked about so many instances. I wished to see your face or hear your voice after the sport calling again residence. I wished to share that with you.
“However I do know, deep down, you have been nonetheless there. I felt you with me. Within the tunnel. On the pitch. Within the powerful moments. I heard you in my head after I wanted power. I hope I made you proud, Grandpa.”
