None captures the soaring Lionesses vibe quite like Hannah Hampton, the nascent poster girl of this remarkable English summer. Yes, that’s English, not British. Hampton’s power is her essential goodness, a quality we can all believe in and one that is utterly repositioning patriotism.
Her simple attachment to the virtuous qualities of not giving in, of commitment and persistence has freed patriotism from the toxic grip of the nationalist tendency, of Nigel Farage, Tommy Robinson and the “football lads” who export a repellent, exclusive vision of what it means to be English.
Hampton reached for the following explanation to account for the resilience shown by her and her teammates in rescuing losing positions in each of the knockout stages to defend their European Championship crown.
“We’ve got that grit, that English blood in us. We never say die. We just keep going,” she said, a position echoed by Chloe “I’m so proud to be English” Kelly.
In the context of a month during which the boorish machismo of the men’s game was cancelled, the adherence to England acquires a noble, innocent quality.
"Do not let people tell you what you can or can't do."
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 29, 2025
England's No.1 Hannah Hampton and striker Michelle Agyemang have thanked #Lionesses fans up and down the country.#BBCFootball #WEuro2025 pic.twitter.com/wiZalIfx1q
In the absence of dissent, simulation, abuse of the officials, profanity, overwrought aggression or animus towards opponents, the coupling of Englishness with indomitable, fighting spirit is less threatening.
The watching experience mirrors the action on the pitch, joy taken in likeable, relatable characters, a sporting cohort who have yet to cut the connective thread to supporters. It feels like we are all in this together, a shared, exhilarating experience that binds us.
Hampton embodies a wholesome desire to overcome without bitterness, to refuse to be defined or restrained by life’s knocks, to try her best. It is a central parable that we all try to pass on to our children but one that is relentlessly under attack by life.
Her back story is one of youthful struggle, coping with strabismus, a condition that leaves the eyes misaligned and affects depth perception. In her early goalkeeping career she struggled with consistency and there were question marks over her attitude before Euro 2022 when she was dropped by Aston Villa and England.
And then there was the problem of usurping Mary Earps, England’s much loved former No 1. The attachment to Earps deepened in the fight with Nike over the kit manufacturer’s crass refusal to stock replica Earps jerseys following the 2023 World Cup.
It was a huge call by Sarina Wiegman to make Hampton her first-choice keeper, a decision that turned disruptive with Earps’ subsequent withdrawal from the squad.
By increments Hampton proved her worth, making match-winning contributions in the knockout stages and developing a formidable profile, topping the table for prevented xGs.
The sense of overcoming adversity was enshrined in a social media post paying homage to her late grandfather, whose death she made public after the tournament.
Even this redaction should be read with a tissue to hand.
“Dear Grandpa, two days before the biggest tournament of my life, you left. It still doesn’t feel real. You were one of my biggest supporters.
“You believed in me before I even knew what this journey would look like. You taught me so much, not just about football, but about life. About staying grounded, working hard, being resilient and doing things the right way.
“It breaks my heart that you didn’t get to see me walk out for our country at my first major tournament, something you dreamed of for me, something we talked about so many times. I wanted to see your face or hear your voice after the game. I wanted to share that with you.
“But I felt you with me. In the tunnel. On the pitch.
“In the tough moments. I heard you in my head when I needed strength. I hope I made you proud, Grandpa. I did it. WE DID IT.”
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Thanks to Hampton and her teammates, the barriers to proclaiming Englishness fall away.
Identity is a complicated business, a concept endlessly abused for political ends, but England’s feminine ballers have allowed us all to embrace it.
It is one of the peculiarities of our cultural life that in significant examples Englishness is denied us. When we pass through customs, we present a UK passport. When asked our nationality, we say we are British.
Our fellow members of the Union are defined by not being English, so they proclaim their Welshness and Scottishness in a way we do not.
But sport gives us the platform to go full English. “Proper England” has entered the lexicon, gloriously validated by Kelly’s boots, Hampton’s penalty saves, and a feminised, non-toxic sense of mission proclaiming inclusion and fellowship, something we can all get behind.
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