England parade: Thousands of football fans pack out Trafalgar Square to celebrate Euro 2022 win

England’s victorious Lionesses have partied with thousands of fans to celebrate their historic Euro 2022 win over Germany – the nation’s first major football trophy for 56 years – with the hungover players belting out Sweet Caroline and admitting they have ‘partied more than we’ve played football in the last 24 hours’.

Around 7,000 supporters went wild at the event hosted by Alex Scott in Trafalgar Square, where fans were dancing in the fountains last night after Chloe Kelly’s extra time goal.

Many of the players were wearing dark sunglasses after MailOnline revealed that they were dancing and singing in their hotel until 4am – but roared on by the crowd they proved they were ready to celebrate again this afternoon.

Addressing the huge crowd in central London today, captain Leah Williamson raised the trophy and said: ‘We’ve partied more than we’ve played football in the last 24 hours’.

She added: ‘What we’ve done for women and young girls that can look up and inspire to be us. I think England have hosted an incredible tournament and we’ve changed the game in this country and hopefully across Europe and across the world. But we said we wanted to make our legacy about winning and that’s what we did’.

England’s matchwinner Miss Kelly, who serenaded the crowd with a rendition of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline before dancing wildly on stage, said: ‘I ain’t stopped dancing, my feet just keep going. Everyone’s absolutely buzzing. We had a good night last night but some of us were a bit worse for wear this morning’. Rachel Daly then took the mic and began belting out Tina Turner classic River Deep Mountain High as her teammates danced around her.

While scorer of the first goal, Ella Toone, was asked about the congratulations from Harry Kane for her top corner finish, and joked: ‘Yeah, I taught him that’. 

While looking forward to the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year, Lioness Lucy Bronze said: ‘There’s still one more we can get our hands on next year’.

Supporters were given free entry on a first-come first-served basis from 11am on Monday, and enjoyed live music from DJ Monki while watching tournament highlights on big screens. 

The victorious players and their manager, Sarina Wiegman, were then greeted as heroes and took part in a Q&A session before lifting the trophy.

But there is growing anger that there will be no traditional bus parade – an honour bestowed on the England men’s team on several occasions despite not winning a title since 1966 – with critics pointing the finger at Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and the Football Association for failing to organise one. 

There is also no Downing Street reception because Boris Johnson is at David Trimble’s funeral. The PM was not at Wembley due to a Cotswolds party to celebrate his secret marriage to Carrie Johnson last year.

The Trafalgar Square Lionesses event was organised by the Greater London Authority, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Westminster Council, and broadcast live on BBC One. The event was full at midday, with the Metropolitan Police forced to urge supporters to stay away and watch it at home due to the huge numbers who turned out to cheer the Lionesses.

Chloe Kelly’s parents spoke of their pride in their daughter and admitted she was now a ‘superstar’ after her extra time goal clinched the title. Her father Noel told MailOnline: ‘It’s just been unbelievable to see. I didn’t play much with her when she was younger, but my boys kicked about with her. She’s absolutely brilliant’.

Her mother Jane added: ’Oh my god, it is incredible. She’s kicked a ball since she could walk and it’s just continued since then, getting bigger and bigger. This is one of the proudest moments of my life. She’s an absolute superstar.’ 

Chloe’s parents had travelled to the rapturous reception for the players at Trafalgar Square in London. 

Supporters were draped in free flags which simply read: ‘Home.’

Yvonne Morrison, 61, took her grandson Ronnie, nine, to catch a glimpse of the Lionesses at Trafalgar Square. Ms Morrison, from Wiltshire, said: ‘They’ve raised the profile of women’s football, it’s long overdue. Hopefully it will raise their salaries, and status. It’s about time they were on an equal par.’ 

She added that ‘what’s really nice for us is that Ronnie’s obviously male, and he’s very interested in female football as well’. Nine-year-old football fan Ronnie said it was ‘amazing’ to celebrate the win with his grandma.

England’s pride of heroic – and hungover – Lionesses partied until 4am ahead of the Trafalgar Square victory party  after a record 23.3million watched them win the Euro 2022 final.

The team were congratulated by the Queen and then celebrated the win late into the night – including wild dancing at Wembley, on the team coach and even in the car park outside their hotel – after making history and beating Germany 2-1.

The 87,192-strong attendance in the stadium smashed the record for either a men’s or women’s Euros final and saw the team end more than 50 years of hurt. In extra time super substitute Miss Kelly fired them into the history books after beating Germany in a tight final that captivated millions and tens of thousands watching in pubs and fan parks across the country.

And MailOnline can reveal the victorious team partied until 4am at the Lensbury Resort – and many emerged bleary-eyed and wearing sunglasses five hours later after as little as two hours sleep. 

Many in the country might feel the same with 17.4million watching the match on BBC1 – 5.7million more than the previous record for a women’s match – plus a further 5.9million who watched on BBC iPlayer or via the BBC website yesterday. The match is also the most watched TV show of 2022.

Speaking about the party this morning manager Sarina Wiegman said it was ‘crazy’, adding: ‘There was lots of music. Lots of dancing. And English people can really drink. There was a little bit too much alcohol. But that’s ok. We enjoyed it. When you have these accomplishments it’s really good to party’. 

Her captain Leah Williamson received a huge cheers from dozens of fans as she emerged from the team hotel holding the Euro trophy. Wearing a red bucket hat, Leah struggled to lift the silver trophy above her head. She then told the BBC: ‘I’m feeling a bit rough this morning’.

Matchwinner Chloe Kelly was one of the first players to leave the hotel accompanied by her boyfriend Scott Moore. He wore an England shirt with his girlfriend’s name emblazoned on the back. The couple loaded up their car before returning to the hotel in Teddington, south west London.

Thousands of supporters, many draped in England flags and wearing replica shirts, queued outside the fanzone at Trafalgar Square in central London ahead of the Euro 2022 victory celebrations.

Among them was Chris North, 52, who said it was ‘amazing’ to be able to celebrate the victory with his two children.

‘My wife’s an ex-women’s rugby player so we always had women’s sport in our family, but they were so inspiring last night,’ he said.

‘The game was so exciting to watch. It’s definitely a new dawn, which is fantastic.’

He said his six-year-old daughter is excited to see her ‘new role models’.

Mr North said it’s ‘about time’ that women’s football received the ‘level up’ it deserved.

‘There are still massive discrepancies between the two, and this is only going to help, because it’s just not fair – not in today’s society,’ he added.

Lindsay Parslow, 32, said the Lionesses’ win on Sunday was a ‘big thing for women’s football.’

‘It’s more out there, more noticed – because it wasn’t before. And let’s be honest, they beat the men!’

Ms Parslow, from Rochester, Kent, was in Trafalgar Square for the celebrations alongside her partner and sons, aged 10 and 12.

She said she thinks her sons, who are ‘big football fans’, will now start taking more notice of women’s football.

Kate Wilkins, 52, and her daughter Isabel Wilkins, 14, and Jo Bellotti, 55, and her daughter Mils Bellotti, 15, all from Bath, are at the fanzone after watching the final last night.

Both Isabel and Mils play football, with Mils recently joining Bristol City.

Mils said: ‘It was an amazing experience, it was an amazing atmosphere. The crowd was insane.

‘We’ve been football fans most of our lives but it helps seeing that we can achieve that too.’

Ms Wilkins said: ‘We’re excited about how inspiring it’s going to be for everybody.’

Ms Bellotti said: ‘I’ve always loved football. And I wasn’t allowed to play it at school. So to go from that to sit in in a sellout 87,000 capacity stadium, watching women play at that level and bringing home the European Cup was just amazing. I never thought I’d see it in my lifetime, to be honest. It’s quite emotional.’

Some Scottish fans are at the fanzone in Trafalgar Square to celebrate England’s Euro 2022 victory.

Morag Scargill, 58, from Kilmarnock, and Sara Turkington, 39, from Prestwick, travelled down from Ayrshire to watch the final.

Ms Turkington said: ‘In terms of the women’s game, it can be huge. Especially in Scotland, where we would love to see an improvement.’

Ms Scargill said that the pair were supporting England despite the rivalry between Scotland and their neighbours.

She said: ‘We’re women’s football fans. (The match) was fantastic. You had to be there to experience it.’

Sir Elton John blared out of the speakers around Trafalgar Square as 7,000 England fans flooded in to toast their Euro 2022 champions.

With Sarina Wiegman and her players due on stage after midday, the merchandise stands around the London landmark were already doing a roaring trade by 10:30.

Supporters were draped in free flags which simply read: ‘Home’.

Chloe Kelly’s extra-time winner against Germany at Wembley on Sunday was still fresh in the memory as families arrived singing and dancing, including one girl dressed in full lioness regalia.

Flags were waving and chants were already beginning well over two hours before those in attendance were even going to get a glimpse of the European champions.

George Taylor, 26, from Tooting in south London, has become a fan of women’s football in the last four years.

He said: ‘I saw Germany play at Brentford and it was difficult to get tickets, which was nice in a way, for the women’s game.

‘Because the men’s game is so iffy at the moment, it’s good that the women’s game is becoming more popular.’

On the men’s game, he said: ‘It’s the money and the general behaviour from a lot of the men. It’s aggressive and so cultish whereas the women’s game is much more nice and friendly.

‘The quality (of football) is really high for the women.

‘It’s good to see because it used to be the argument that the quality’s not as good as the men’s but now it’s really good.’

The FA’s director of women’s football, Baroness Sue Campbell, said England’s win will make a ‘phenomenal difference’.

She told BBC News: ‘I think it’ll really take it to another level. But I think what happened yesterday was much broader than football.

‘I think it will change the perception of women in sport generally, and I hope give women and girls real optimism that if they want to do something in life, whatever it is, if they work at it, they’re going to achieve it.’

Baroness Campbell said she is not surprised at the TV viewing figures, adding: ‘I think we’ve inspired a nation here.

‘It’s not just people who are interested in football before. We’ve got lots of new people who’ve watched the women’s game, and lots of people who I hope will continue to support and watch the women’s game.

‘But we’ve also inspired lots of youngsters to realise that sport, football, is for them.’

Yvonne Morrison, 61, has taken her grandson Ronnie, nine, to catch a glimpse of the Lionesses at Trafalgar Square.

Ms Morrison, from Wiltshire, told the PA news agency that it was ‘just absolutely amazing that they’ve been able to get this far, and that they’ve raised the profile of women’s football, it’s long overdue.

‘Hopefully it will raise their salaries, and status. It’s about time they were on an equal par.’

She added that ‘what’s really nice for us is that Ronnie’s obviously male, and he’s very interested in female football as well’.

Nine-year-old football fan Ronnie said it was ‘amazing’ to celebrate the win with his grandma.

Chris and Jan Copley, in their 70s, from Greenford, west London attended.

Chris said: ‘We watched every game. We watched the final in the pub and the atmosphere was great.

‘We’ve been watching the women’s team for a while.

‘We saw them in the World Cup so we follow them a bit.’

Jan said: ‘It was great to see them win.’

Ryan Grumbridge, 40, and Gemma Grumbridge, 43, travelled from Oldham to London to watch the Euros final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday night with their two daughters.

Mr Grumbridge, who is a coach for the 250-strong girls’ football club Crompton FC, said this is a ‘massive’ moment for women’s football.

‘It’s good for them to get some recognition – I hope it keeps growing and growing, and we’ll carry on getting decent-sized crowds.’

He said the Lionesses are ‘fantastic role models’ for his daughters Ruby and Amelia, aged 11 and 13.

‘They’ve got a fantastic bond as well,’ he added. ‘They seem like great friends, [Ruby] follows them all on TikTok.’

Ms Grumbridge told the PA news agency it was ‘absolutely amazing’ to be in London to watch the game at Wembley, with ‘lots of singing, lots of cheering… incredible’.

The Lionesses had arrived back at their team hotel just before 11pm and had danced with delight on oval garden at the entrance. They headed to a recreation room fitted out with giant bean bags and other home comforts where the party took place.

A hotel guest said : ‘Everyone was clapping and cheering when they came in. I am sure it was one hell of a party. If anyone deserved to celebrate it was the Lionesses’.

Other players, including Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood, emerged from the hotel in the morning prior to the party in Trafalgar Square. They were accompanied by an FA official and declined to comment. The most energetic was Hannah Hampton who walked down the steps of the hotel dancing. 

David Williamson, 52, the proud father of captain Leah, 25, said the atmosphere last night was ‘amazing..the girls were obviously enjoying it, just fantastic really’.

He said: ‘We’re very happy…all the girls just, I think they know that they kind of created history, I guess and I think they enjoyed it last night. ‘It was fantastic. Everyone was very happy.’ Dressed in a white t-shirt which said ‘home’ in red lettering he said he was ‘unbelievably proud of Leah, I mean not just her the girls have just done amazing’. 

He said there was ‘a little bit of singing’ as part of the celebrations last night as the girls were ‘just releasing a lot of tension’ following weeks of hard training.

Mr Williamson said he would be having breakfast and then heading to Trafalgar Square to continue the celebrations there. 

The team were also enjoying themselves last night, singing Sweet Caroline with the crowd before enjoying a few beers and some dancing in the changing room at Wembley. There were also joyous scenes on the team bus and at the hotel in west London – as well as tears of joy when the players were reunited with their families and partners.

Experts have said the women’s game will now ‘explode’ but there is growing criticism that just 66 per cent of primary schools and 44 per cent of secondary schools offer girls the same access to football as boys in PE lessons. Ian Wright has suggested that England’s policy makers will throw away the legacy of the win if girls don’t get the same chances as boys, warning that MPs and businesses will be ‘jumping on’ the Euro 2022 victory and must be forced to invest in the game.

Alex Scott said today that the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 victory would be a game changer in terms of raising the profile of women’s football.

She told BBC Breakfast: ‘These Lionesses have raised the bar. They have changed the way women’s football is viewed in this country. The train has left the station and it is gathering pace. It will be tragic to take any steps back after what we have witnessed yesterday and through the whole tournament. There must be an opportunity for every single girl to play football if they want to.’

Spectators at Wembley included the Duke of Cambridge, whose seven-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte had earlier filmed a ‘good luck’ message for the team.

Meanwhile, as many as 15million more were watching around the UK on television – another record for women’s football – including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his children Wilf, two, and seven-month-old Romy.

The Queen led the praise, telling them in a statement ‘You have all set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations’.

The result sent the Lionesses into raptures, with the victorious women storming into Sarina Wiegman’s post-match press conference singing the Baddiel, Skinner and The Lightning Seeds anthem Three Lions.

The celebrations continued in the Wembley changing room as the players were seen dancing and laughing – enjoying their historic achievement.

Yesterday’s final was a tense 90 minutes with flying tackles and yellow cards peppering a highly-energetic match, watched by Prince William in the crowd.

But the introduction of Ella Toone looked to have settled it after she broke to fizz a shot past helpless German keeper Merle Frohms watched by a record 87,192 in the stadium.

But there was heartbreak minutes later as Magull worked her way into position to equalise, devastating England fans across the country.

With only ten minutes left, the game was left balancing on a knife edge with the ultimate prize at stake.

The stalemate could not be broken, going into another agonising 30 more minutes of extra time which at first had produced nothing more.

But Kelly was not about to let the game go to penalties and picked the biggest stage in the world to produce her first ever international goal.

She dominated German keeper Frohms to propel England to a 2-1 lead and set the game beyond any doubt.

Yesterday in a statement The Queen said the women would go down in history and be icons of sport.

She said: ‘My warmest congratulations, and those of my family, go to you all on winning the European Women’s Football Championships.

‘It is a significant achievement for the entire team, including your support staff.

‘The Championships and your performance in them have rightly won praise.

‘However, your success goes far beyond the trophy you have so deservedly earned.

‘You have all set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations.

‘It is my hope that you will be as proud of the impact you have had on your sport as you are of the result today.’

The Spice Girls praised the Lionesses for their ‘girl power’ following their historic win against Germany.

Geri Horner and Mel C were at the game last night and posed in England t-shirts for photos celebrating the win.

The 48-year-old and 49-year-old Wannabe hitmakers nailed sports chic in football attire as they watched England’s Lionesses beat Germany.

Melanie flashed a peace sign as she and Geri posed for a selfie, which was posted to Instagram by the Watford-native alongside the caption: ‘At the final! @lionesses !’ 

The British girl group reshared a photo of the England women’s football squad celebrating on Twitter, writing: ‘Congratulations @Lionesses True GirlPower right there.’ 

Scoring the final goal of the match, Kelly’s sheer joy saw her rip her jersey off and wave it round her head – and get a yellow card for her trouble.

She said after the match: ‘Oh my God – look at them. It’s amazing! This is unreal!’

Kelly then abandoned the post-match interview to sing Sweet Caroline with her teammates. 

When she returned she said: ‘This is what dreams are made of, as a young girl watching women’s football to this – it’s amazing. These girls are special.’ 

It had been almost the perfect start for England as Fran Kirby found Ellen White but she headed it straight to Frohms in the first few moments of the match.

Later England put Germany under extreme pressure in the 18th minute after a series of corners threatened on goal, with Lucy Bronze’s shot nearly squeezing past Frohms.

The Lionesses had peppered her goal with chances throughout the first half and fans may have been forgiven for wondering how they were not at least 2-0 up.

But Germany were not without their own threat, with one effort prompting a desperate goalmouth scramble to deny them a goal. 

Dozens of ticketless fans were watching the match on their phones outside Wembley Stadium.

Supporters entering the stadium before 5pm had been largely positive and calm, with very little trouble for police.

However, those without tickets were still in the area after kick-off, opting to watch the match in nearby pubs or on their phones.

Craig Stephens, 58, and his wife Julie, 54, from Twickenham, south-west London, said: ‘We just wanted to be around Wembley while the game was on, it really is historic.

‘We’re really excited and hope England can do well, but we know that Germany has been a dangerous opponent in the past.’

This morning the Lionesses’ two biggest Royal fans had wished them luck and the future king was even there in person to cheer them from the stands.

The Duke of Cambridge posted a video to his official Twitter account this morning in which he and Charlotte shared their support for the Lionesses.

‘We both want to wish the lionesses the best of luck tonight, you’ve done amazingly well in the competition and we’re rooting for you all the way!’ Will exclaimed, before Charlotte chipped in: ‘Good luck, I hope you win. Bye!’

As the game got underway Prime Minister Boris Johnson showed he was tuning in with Romy and Wilfred with a post on Twitter. 

Tens of thousands of fans had been seen around Wembley Stadium hours before the women’s Euros final as the nation prepared for the match yesterday. 

Supporters turned out in force to cheer on the Lionesses by flying England flags, painting their faces red and white and donning Team shirts to cheer on the players as they prepared to face Germany at 5pm. 

Excitement was seen throughout the sea of England shirts and flags, blowing horns and clappers.

Many of those attending live and in pubs and bars and live screens set up across the country were in family groups, made up of young women and girls. 

Among the crowd was Emma Newman, 21, a student from Whitby, North Yorkshire, who said: ‘It’s a really nice atmosphere, people are just here to see the match and nothing else.

‘It’s right that fans aren’t causing trouble, these women are inspiring and deserve to be supported properly. I just hope they can get the job done.’ 

The Women’s team qualified for their first Euros final since 2009 on Wednesday night, as they demolished Sweden 4-0 at Bramall Lane.

England, who have never won the tournament, played their first and last final at home in 1984.

Back then, some players’ husbands were unable to join the crowd of 2,500 at Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road ground because they could not afford the transport. 

The game only had halves of 35 minutes instead of 45 and a smaller ball than that played with by men was used. #

England fans outside Wembley Stadium have been getting louder ahead of the Euro 2022 final. Groups of young women were chanting ‘It’s coming home’, with fans outside pubs and restaurants joining in.

Young children were also seen leading chants as parents followed close behind. A small scattering of police officers, some on horseback, watched fans in the area ahead of kick-off.

The nearby BoxPark was also packed and noisy, with a performance from pop group from S Club 7. Chelsea Women’s football manager Emma Hayes was urging crowds to chant and cheer louder.

A mother and daughter who are attending the final at Wembley together said the England team’s success has ‘helped grow’ women’s football.

Childminder Helen Charlesworth, from Orpington, Kent, said her daughter Darcey, 22, had enjoyed football from the age of eight and started playing with boys as there were no girls’ teams around.

She said: ‘I’m feeling nervous but excited. When we got the tickets last year it was a dream that England would be in the final and now it’s come true.

‘To be at a home tournament is amazing. The team is so strong and there is a real team spirit about them.

‘The fact that the women’s game is growing is amazing. This tournament has definitely helped grow the game and support for it,’ Ms Charlesworth added.

Up north, locals flocked into Newcastle’s Central fan zone to watch the Women’s England team take on Germany and were pictured in high spirits donning England shirts and flags.

Anna Benham, 30, an administrator from Newcastle said: ‘I’ve watched every single game and I’m excited for the final. It’s really great to see the support and how the country has got behind them.

‘I’ve came into the centre because it’s a fantastic atmosphere and we can all celebrate together when we win.’

Leah Harker, a 20-year-old sports science student from County Durham said: ‘I’m really excited for the game, I’ve been following along the entire tournament. It’s a really great atmosphere.

‘We’re going to bring it home today. It’s great to see women’s football leading the way and that people are getting behind it.

‘It’ll mean a lot to some people if the women can win the Euros after the men couldn’t.’

Jake Brown, a 24-year-old engineer from Newcastle said: ‘I watch every England game so I’m looking forward to the final.

‘It’ll be a really good result, I refuse to believe in defeat. It doesn’t matter that it’s women’s football to me. It’s football and it’ll still be a good game.

‘We came out last year for the men’s final and it was a great day so today should also be great.’

Charlotte Glass, a 23-year-old stay at home mother from Newcastle said: ‘I can’t wait for the game.

‘We came out to watch it with everyone else as it’s so much better than watching it from home.

‘We did something similar for the men’s Euros last year and it was great. I really hope they win.

‘If they do, more people will get into women’s football which would be great to see. People are already supporting it more after their results this year.’

England’s heroine of the hour: How Chloe Kelly went from the 92 bus and football practice on a gravel pitch in Ealing with her five big brothers to clinching victory for the Lionesses in extra time 

By CHRIS WHEELER FOR THE DAILY MAIL and CHAY QUINN FOR MAILONLINE 

Chloe Kelly would have found it hard to avoid football growing up. The youngest of seven children embraced the sport from the moment she followed her five brothers to a caged gravel pitch on the Windmill Park Estate.

Kelly was football-mad. As a youngster she even took the 92 bus from Ealing to go to Wembley on FA Cup Final day. Was she there to watch the match? No. She was there to collect a programme.

That yearly pilgrimage helped form the Lioness with the location taking on a whole new meaning yesterday: as she scored the goal at Wembley against Germany to bring England its first piece of footballing silverware since 1966.

‘I don’t think there are many who came up playing in a cage,’ says the 24-year-old. ‘I was always around the cage with the boys as soon as I was allowed, about the age of seven. My brothers included me even though they were older and playing with their friends.

‘The whole summer we would get out in the cage early mornings, go back for some food and be straight back there. A few years later, someone melted a bin in the middle. It wasn’t the best, but we had to make do with what we had!

‘Playing cage football really made me the player I am. It added a bit more creativity to my game and the physicality as well.’

Were the brothers protective? ‘Definitely not. They were probably the ones telling everyone to hit me harder. Get used to it. If I was on the floor, they would tell me to get up.

‘They never really felt sorry for me if I was getting knocked about. I think that was the way to go. If they made it easy, you would always think everything is going to come easy in life and that’s not the case. That’s how I’ve got so far today.

‘I was one of them. Looking back, I really appreciate that but less so at the time. I was a bit gutted going home and crying to my mum sometimes.’

Kelly watches elder brother Jack and triplets Ryan, Jamie and Martin play local league football when she is back in west London.

‘Jack still says now that he’s better than me,’ says Kelly who has another brother, Daniel, and sister, Paris. ‘He says, ‘I’ve taught you everything you know, but not everything I know’. They don’t let me get too carried away. They always keep me grounded and that’s a great thing.’

After being scouted by QPR at a schools tournament – ‘it was my first real game because I was used to playing in the cages’ – Kelly turned professional with Arsenal. She took the bold decision to move to Everton, initially on loan, in 2016 even though it led to homesickness and regular calls to her mum Jane and dad Noel.

‘If I hadn’t gone to Everton, I don’t know if I would be in the position I’m in now at City and pushing on in my career,’ she says. ‘I could have been satisfied with sitting on the bench at a top club but I needed minutes under my belt. I needed to show what I was capable of on the pitch, not just the training pitch. I don’t think a lot of people would make that leap of moving to a city I’d never been to before at such a young age.

‘It was very daunting. Because I was such a family girl, I got homesick and every opportunity I got I would be back, but I knew it was the best for my career.’

Kelly was fourth in the Women’s Super League scoring charts with nine goals for Everton when the season was ended. City, who were top at the time but saw Chelsea crowned champions on a points-per-game basis, signed Kelly in July 2020 and she scored an impressive 10 goals and made 11 assists in her first season in Manchester.

‘Once I found out City were interested in me it was a case of, ‘OK, when can we get it done?’. I can’t wait to get going,’ says Kelly. ‘There are a lot of England internationals here and that was massive for me. If I get another call-up, it’s easier going into that environment by playing with those players day in, day out.

‘I looked at playing with the likes of Steph Houghton and Jill Scott, learning, adding to my game. I’m ambitious and I want to be the best version of myself.’

She only made one appearance in the WSL last season after suffering a heartbreaking ACL injury which jeopardised her ability to compete in this summer’s Euros.

But she roared back and made Sarina Wiegman’s squad for the home tournament.

It was the latest rally back from injury that Kelly had to endure. She made her England debut in November 2018 as a substitute against Austria in a friendly but suffered an ankle injury that required surgery the following February.

It kept her out for six months and out of contention for a place at the 2019 World Cup, where new team-mate Ellen White scored six goals as England reached the semi-finals.

But the demons of missing out on that run have been banished by her heroics in the Euros final yesterday, following up on a spilled ball in the 20th minute of extra time to send England into dreamland. 

No flashy footballers here! The VERY low-key lives of England’s Lionesses – from Leah Williamson training to be an accountant to Lucy Bronze’s old job at Domino’s – and the proud plus-ones who are their biggest fans

England’s Lionesses have captured the hearts of the nation following their historic win last night after beating Germany 2-1 at the Euro 2022 final.

But what do we know about Sarina Wiegman’s squad’s top players and their lives away from the pitch?

The team was led by captain Leah Williamson, who is balancing her career in football with training to be an accountant.

She was joined throughout the tournament by Lucy Bronze, who once worked at a Domino’s pizza takeaway, and self declared ‘girly-girl’ Alex Greenwood.

Meanwhile team-mate Georgia Stanway, who is dating Rugby League player Olly Ashall-Bott, also featured in the games – having won high praise from previous England Women’s boss Phil Neville, who has said the Manchester City player could be among the best in the world.

Elsewhere, teammate Millie Bright’s childhood was marred by hospital visits; she was only eight days old when she was diagnosed with pneumonia.

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at the lives of the players when they’re not playing football… 

LEAH WILLIAMSON

Leah Williamson, a central defender, has been praised for having every attribute: pace, temperament and time on the ball.

The 25-year-old, from Milton Keynes, has been playing since she was six and has called it her ‘first love and passion’. 

She went on to join Arsenal at the age of nine, having been born into an Arsenal-supporting family.

After watching long jumper Greg Rutherford, who also comes from Milton Keynes, at the 2012 Summer Olympics she briefly considered switching her athletic focus to track and field.

However, luckily for the England squad she stayed focused on her dreams of becoming a footballer. 

‘She leads by example and what you see is what you get,’ vice-captain Millie Bright said.  ‘She is a very mature individual, both on and off the pitch. She is very calm in the way she leads. 

‘It’s been a delight to see her lead the team out and it’s been a big moment for her.’ She’s a very humble person, and player, both on and off the field,’ White told the Scotsman.

‘I think sometimes with a captain, it is not just what you do away from the game – how you act around the team, and the media. And I think Leah is great with that because it isn’t an act – that is just her, and who she is.’ 

As well as balancing her career as a professional footballer, Leah is also training to be an accountant. 

The Arsenal star has amassed 200,000 followers on Instagram, where she often posts images of her outings with fellow footballers like Alex Scott. 

And in May, she was invited by Gucci to Puglia to witness her first-ever fashion show.

The captain was also among the footballers who met with the Duke of Cambridge last month and presented him with three football shirts for his children.

RACHEL DALY

Lioness and US National Women’s Soccer League player Rachel Daly is dating fellow footballer Millie Turner.

Millie, who plays for Manchester United, has also been capped for England as part of the Lioness squad, and has been pictured training with her girlfriend in the past.

The couple have a long-distance relationship while Millie remains in the UK playing for Manchester United, but according to her Instagram, she finds plenty of time to travel to Texas and see her girlfriend. 

Photos show the pair sitting together at the beach and making a fuss of Rachel’s rescue dog.

During lockdown, the couple spent lots of time together, with Rachel posting a picture of the two of them on Christmas Day.

She wrote: ‘The hardest Christmas made as special as it could’ in an apparent reference to spending the festive period away from their families.

After England’s 4-0 win over Sweden, Rachel donned a cowboy hat imprinted with the England flag before strutting around the pitch to celebrate.

Posting a video of her girlfriend on Twitter, Millie wrote: ‘Guys if anyone else has anymore videos of Rach dancing please send them me cos I am laughing my head off.’

She added: ‘You can take a girl out of Texas but you can’t take the Texas out of a girl.’

GEORGIA STANWAY 

Born in Barrow-in-Furness, Georgia Stanway, 23, has been praised for her skills on the pitch for years.

She comes from a sporting family. One brother, JP, plays football for Holker Old Boys in the North West Counties League and another, Wyll, appears almost as frequently in the Barrow Evening Mail as she does, with his cricketing performances for Furness.

She credits competition with the two in the garden and on the beach as key to her development, as well as her Blackburn manager AJ Goodwin.

Having grown up idolising Alan Shearer, she moved away from her hometown aged 16 to pursue her dream of playing football.  

Her coaches at City, where she was signed as an 18-year-old from Blackburn Rovers, say it is Stanway’s capacity to perform on any occasion which contributes to the stardust quality. 

Stanway’s mother, Joanne, tells of one pre-season at Blackburn in which the then 15-year-old felt her goal scoring was rusty, after she had missed a few one-on-ones in a friendly. 

Stanway put her mother in goal and, by her own account, she finished the session ‘black and blue, despite trying to dodge rather than save them’. 

In 2016, she was nominated for the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year. 

It was the first in a string of nominations for the striker, who has gone on to be named the UEFA Women’s Champions League squad in 2018 and PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year in 2019. 

Phil Neville hailed her skills in 2019, saying: ‘If she keeps her feet on ground, keeps working hard, and keeps listening, she is going to be one of the best players in world football.’ 

The football star also shares a love of sport with her boyfriend: Rugby League player Olly Ashall-Bott, 24. 

Originally from Cheshire, Ashall-Bott currently plays for Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Super League.

While the pair, who met in March 2018, seem very settled, they don’t plan to start a family any time soon.

The Mirror reports that despite many of Olly’s friends getting married, he and Georgia don’t have marriage or children in their immediate future.  

During lockdown Olly and Georgia got into fishing to keep themselves busy, and the pair still enjoy their hobby together now.

ALEX GREENWOOD

Like her team-mate Leah, Liverpool-born Alex Greenwood, 29, joined a prestigious club at the age of eight, when she signed for Everton.

She told The Telegraph: ‘I played up with them [boys] and they treated me like a little sister. They didn’t push me away. Not being disrespectful, but probably because I was just as good as them if not better than them.

‘So for them it was, “Why would we push her away? She’s as good as us”. Maybe I have a different story to other people, but I never struggled or suffered, being a girl. If anything I got respected more because I was a girl.’

She later joined Liverpool, before signing to Manchester United. She is currently with Manchester City.

Alex is known as one of the most glamorous members of the squad, with team-mate Jordan Nobbs previously saying she is ‘very big into her heels, her dresses and her eyelashes’. 

In 2013, she revealed she is a ‘girly-girl’ and loves shopping as well as getting her hair and makeup done.

She told Liverpool Echo: ‘I’ve always been a girly girl and I love getting my hair done but that doesn’t mean I can’t play football.’

If there is anyone who understands the pressure of performing in a football match it is her boyfriend Jack O’Connell, 28, who plays as a centre-back for Sheffield United. 

The couple met at school and have been together for several years but prefer to keep a low profile on social media. 

They recently jetted off to Dubai for a sun-soaked holiday and shared snaps of the five-star experience on Instagram. 

However, she tends to keep a low profile on social media, having previously spoken about how difficult she finds online abuse.

She told The Independent that abuse she received after moving from United to rivals City left her ‘wrecked’, adding: ‘I don’t think people were aware of how badly it actually affected me, because I didn’t let my football suffer…

‘Even if your notifications are off, every time you go on social media to engage with your friends or whatever, it’s there. And naturally as a human being, the negative ones stick. Those are the ones that play in your mind.’

JILL SCOTT 

Midfielder Jill Scott, who also plays for Manchester City, is engaged to Shelly Unitt.

The pair, who have been together for around six years, own the Boxx 2 Boxx coffee shop in Manchester together. 

As the sister of former Lionesses player Rachel Unitt, Shelly has long followed the England Women’s team around the world supporting her loved ones at matches. 

Scott, 35, announced her engagement to Shelly, 37, two and a half years ago in a sweet Instagram post showing off her diamond ring.

Posting on Instagram over Christmas in 2020, Jill said she and Shelly had wanted to host an engagement party for their friends and family but lockdown meant they would have to wait.

During lockdown Jill posted photos of the couple out together on their daily walks in the countryside.

LUCY BRONZE

Lucy Bronze, 30, knows about hard work – having once worked in a Domino’s pizza takeaway.

She did not take the traditional pathway to success and there was a time when the defender, who has dual nationality through her Portuguese father, thought she might never play for the Lionesses.

She attended soccer camps in America with former US women’s coach Anson Dorrance, who later signed her to play for the University of North Carolina. Dorrance wrote to the FA as well as clubs in England to try and convince them of Bronze’s ability.

She previously explained: ‘I was 12-years-old and Anson said: “When you’re old enough we want you to play for the university, you’re going to be such a good player”, and he even wrote to a couple of people in England and told them about me. It kind of fell on deaf ears a bit, no one really got back to him. They might potentially be regretting that now!

‘To come from there, and take what is not considered the normal way, and make it to the top, makes everything I’ve done even more special.  It makes my family even more proud and I can pat myself on the back a little bit harder for it.’

Bronze has now capped 88 times by England and won the Silver Ball at the 2019 World Cup – the award which recognises the second-most outstanding player at the tournament. 

She has played for City and Liverpool, and went abroad with Lyon for three years. The experienced full back then returned to City in 2020.

Overall, she won five trophies across both stints, having lifted the Women’s Super League, two FA WSL Cups and two Women’s FA Cups.

Last month, defender Bronze completed her medical and penned a two-year deal to seal her sensational switch to Barcelona. 

MILLIE BRIGHT 

Born in Chesterfield in the East Midlands, Millie Bright’s childhood was marred by hospital visits. 

She was only eight days old when she was diagnosed with pneumonia and at one point she was in and out of hospital every other day as a result of terrible asthma and a whooping cough which did not subside until after her 14th birthday.

‘It was really quite bad,’ Bright has previously said about her health problems.

‘Eventually I had a steroid machine at home to help me but before I was old enough for that I had to get an ambulance whenever I was having an attack in the night. That would happen several times a week.

‘Getting older, my asthma has settled down a little bit now, but back then I just had to decide whether I would let it stop me playing or not.’

Millie, a keen equestrian, began playing football at the age of nine, and decided to join the local team after seeing a friend play for the Killamarsh Dynamos.

She was later scouted by Sheffield United and joined their academy team until age 16 before moving to Doncaster Rovers Belles in 2009. 

In December 2014, Bright signed with Chelsea ahead of the 2015 season where she remains today. 

In her downtime, Bright, who lives in Surrey, enjoys family time or dog walks with her partner Levi, and says she isn’t fussed by the excess that comes with a footballing career. 

She prefers casual clothes to big name brands, saying: ‘I don’t want young girls to think that you become a footballer and need expensive clothes to be validated.’

Bright, who has been barred from horse riding by insurers, is also invested in her charity work and is an ambassador for the children’s charity Make-A-Wish.

CHLOE KELLY

Chloe Kelly would have found it hard to avoid football growing up. The youngest of seven children embraced the sport from the moment she followed her five brothers to a caged gravel pitch on the Windmill Park Estate.

Kelly was football-mad. As a youngster she even took the 92 bus from Ealing to go to Wembley on FA Cup Final day. Was she there to watch the match? No. She was there to collect a programme.

That yearly pilgrimage helped form the Lioness with the location taking on a whole new meaning yesterday: as she scored the goal at Wembley against Germany to bring England its first piece of footballing silverware since 1966.

‘I don’t think there are many who came up playing in a cage,’ says the 24-year-old. ‘I was always around the cage with the boys as soon as I was allowed, about the age of seven. 

‘My brothers included me even though they were older and playing with their friends.

‘The whole summer we would get out in the cage early mornings, go back for some food and be straight back there. 

‘A few years later, someone melted a bin in the middle. It wasn’t the best, but we had to make do with what we had!

‘Playing cage football really made me the player I am. It added a bit more creativity to my game and the physicality as well.’

Despite having five older brothers, Chloe said they weren’t always particularly protective of their baby sister.

She said: ‘They were probably the ones telling everyone to hit me harder. Get used to it. If I was on the floor, they would tell me to get up.

‘They never really felt sorry for me if I was getting knocked about. I think that was the way to go. If they made it easy, you would always think everything is going to come easy in life and that’s not the case. That’s how I’ve got so far today.

‘I was one of them. Looking back, I really appreciate that but less so at the time. I was a bit gutted going home and crying to my mum sometimes.’

She watches one of her brothers Jack, and the three triplets of the family, Ryan, Jamie and Martin play local league football when she’s back home in west London.

‘Jack still says now that he’s better than me,’ said Kelly who has another brother, Daniel, and sister, Paris. ‘He says, “I’ve taught you everything you know, but not everything I know”.

‘They don’t let me get too carried away. They always keep me grounded and that’s a great thing.’

Chloe was scouted by Queens Park Rangers at a school tournament and later turned professional when she signed for Arsenal.

While at the north London club she was regularly backed at matches by her supportive parents, father, Noel and mother, Jane, who attended her games.

The homebird moved to Merseyside to play for Everton in 2016, but frequently called her mother and father because she was feeling homesick. 

However, now playing for Manchester City, Chloe is grateful for her time at Everton and believes it shaped her into the player she is today.

In her personal life Chloe is in a relationship with her boyfriend Scott and the pair celebrated their third anniversary in June. 

After an ACL injury while playing in the Women’s Super League last season, Chloe’s future looked unsure and there was no guarantee she would even be able to play in the Women’s Euros 2022 – let alone score the winning goal of the tournament.

She has now sealed her place in history after tapping the ball into the goal in the 20th minute of extra time in the final against Germany and whipping her shirt off to celebrate – for which she was booked.

MARY EARPS 

Mary Earps, 29, a talented Manchester United goalkeeper, grew up supporting Liverpool.

Earps could have progressed in judo after becoming a junior black belt at the age of 15. 

But she credits dancing lessons for giving her the confidence to shout at defenders on the football pitch. 

She says: ‘When you’re doing a singing and dancing solo on stage to Pop Goes the Weasel, demanding your defender goes a little bit right or left doesn’t faze you.’ 

Earps was third choice for England at the 2019 World Cup and was left out in the cold towards the end of Phil Neville’s reign and the interim period under Hege Riise. 

It was Sarina Wiegman who brought the 29-year-old back into the fold and she has not looked back.

‘I had a period of time where I wasn’t involved and it was a very difficult time,’ Earps told Sportsmail earlier this year.

‘A lot of things happened behind closed doors. There was a lot of silence and a lot of loneliness and that was hard for me to deal with. Now I’m just enjoying and embracing every single moment.’

KEIRA WALSH 

Keira Walsh is England’s midfield maestro and started out as a right-footed left back.

Walsh made her Manchester City debut at 16 and often had to turn up to training in her school uniform. 

Former team-mate Karen Bardsley recalled: ‘She came in one day wearing these little frilly white socks with her school uniform. Then she goes and marks Kelly Smith out of the League Cup final.’

Walsh has previously spoken out about the pressure footballers face during a tournament.

She said: ‘Footballers are held to a higher expectation where they can’t have an off day, a day where they don’t feel great. 

They’ve either got to play well or they are getting slated. I think a lot of people forget that players can have stuff going on.

‘But ultimately, I am a professional footballer, so I have to overcome that hurdle. I have to take it in my stride.’

ELLA TOONE

She may be one of the youngest members of the team, but 21-year-old Ella Toone, from Manchester, is used to representing the country on an international stage.

The Manchester United player and fan first played for her club as a girl before returning four years ago following stints at Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers.

She has represented England at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level. 

After leaving school, whilst playing for Manchester United, she enrolled onto a Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport Science course at Wigan and Leigh College.

The glamorous football player has 88k followers on Instagram and regularly shares snaps of her nights out and training sessions.

She still finds time to watch Manchester United at home and away.  

‘I just love going and supporting; it’s been a part of me since I was a little girl. We get tickets for home games for if we’re not training,’ she said.’I’ve got a little source at the club who sorts me out away tickets but I’m not telling any of the girls that because it’s just me.’

BETH MEAD

Arsenal forward Beth Mead, 27, from North Yorkshire, started playing football at the age of six. 

‘I just loved all kinds of sports. Cross country, cricket – anything,’ she told Her Football Show. 

‘I used to go to a local Sunday morning session and I’d play with the boys. I loved it from the first minute. My mum was warned that the boys were quite rough, and was asked if I’d be okay. But she said I was rougher than most of the boys.’

After starting out at a team called California Girls, Mead was picked up by the Middlesbrough Centre of Excellence, now known as Middlesbrough RTC.

She moved to Sunderland aged 16 and juggled a professional career with a degree in Sport Development from Teesside University and commitments as a coach to local schoolchildren. 

Mead signed with current club Arsenal in 2017, following in the footsteps of England teammate Jordan Nobbs, who was an inspiration to her growing up. 

‘She was in the age group above me [at the Centre of Excellence] but was known for playing for the England youth teams and a huge talent,’ Mead said. 

‘I followed a similar pathway to her. She was at Middlesbrough, then went to Sunderland and now I’m at Arsenal with her. I told her that I was a stalker – I’m just following her!’

She made her debut for England’s senior team in 2018 and played in the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. However she missed out on the squad for the 2020 Olympics. 

She credited the snub with driving her passion last season and says she now feels more ‘confident’.  

‘Hopefully I can take that into the Euros,’ she told the Guardian last month. ‘I’m in a good place, I’m in a good headspace, my football has been good so I’m just trying to channel that energy in the right way.’

ELLEN WHITE 

England’s star striker Ellen White is married to sports development officer Callum Convery.

The pair met while they were both studying at Loughborough University and got engaged in 2013 before tying the knot the following year in a barn in Aylesbury.

Callum originally worked for the Nottingham Football Association, but when his wife signed for Manchester City and the pair moved up north he switched jobs.

Two years ago the pair committed themselves to completing a mammoth sporting challenge in support of The Darby Rimmer MND Foundation.

Ellen ran and walked a total of 150 miles in 30 days while Callum committed to running 150 miles during the same time period.

The charity was set up by husband of Lioness Steph Houghton Stephen Darby and Chris Rimmer, who are both living with the degenerative illness.

On Callum’s birthday in 2018 Ellen posted a sweet tribute to her husband on Instagram. 

She wrote: ‘Happy Birthday to my favourite husband. The guy who let me take two kittens home instead of one. The guy who travels the world to support me and jumps a fence to kiss me. Think I will keep you forever.’

LAUREN HEMP 

England and Manchester City striker Lauren Hemp, 21, is dating fellow footballer Ellie Butler, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ellie, who has been in the stands cheering on Lauren since the beginning of the tournament, posted photos of herself with her girlfriend at the end of key matches on Instagram.

Just before England’s semi-final match against Sweden kicked off Ellie, who is also a striker, posted a video of herself in the stands supporting her girlfriend once again as they sailed to victory with a stunning 4-0 win.

Lauren is a frequent feature on Ellie’s Instagram account, with the pair celebrating Ellie’s 20th birthday together at a fancy restaurant.

While it is not known exactly how long they have been dating the pair clearly have lots of fun together, often filming dances with each other on TikTok.

 

England’s heroine of the hour: How Chloe Kelly went from the 92 bus and football practice on a gravel pitch in Ealing with her five big brothers to clinching victory for the Lionesses in extra time

Chloe Kelly would have found it hard to avoid football growing up. The youngest of seven children embraced the sport from the moment she followed her five brothers to a caged gravel pitch on the Windmill Park Estate.

Kelly was football-mad. As a youngster she even took the 92 bus from Ealing to go to Wembley on FA Cup Final day. Was she there to watch the match? No. She was there to collect a programme.

That yearly pilgrimage helped form the Lioness with the location taking on a whole new meaning yesterday: as she scored the goal at Wembley against Germany to bring England its first piece of footballing silverware since 1966.

‘I don’t think there are many who came up playing in a cage,’ says the 24-year-old. ‘I was always around the cage with the boys as soon as I was allowed, about the age of seven. My brothers included me even though they were older and playing with their friends.

‘The whole summer we would get out in the cage early mornings, go back for some food and be straight back there. A few years later, someone melted a bin in the middle. It wasn’t the best, but we had to make do with what we had!

‘Playing cage football really made me the player I am. It added a bit more creativity to my game and the physicality as well.’

Were the brothers protective? ‘Definitely not. They were probably the ones telling everyone to hit me harder. Get used to it. If I was on the floor, they would tell me to get up.

‘They never really felt sorry for me if I was getting knocked about. I think that was the way to go. If they made it easy, you would always think everything is going to come easy in life and that’s not the case. That’s how I’ve got so far today.

‘I was one of them. Looking back, I really appreciate that but less so at the time. I was a bit gutted going home and crying to my mum sometimes.’

Kelly watches elder brother Jack and triplets Ryan, Jamie and Martin play local league football when she is back in west London.

‘Jack still says now that he’s better than me,’ says Kelly who has another brother, Daniel, and sister, Paris. ‘He says, ‘I’ve taught you everything you know, but not everything I know’. They don’t let me get too carried away. They always keep me grounded and that’s a great thing.’

After being scouted by QPR at a schools tournament – ‘it was my first real game because I was used to playing in the cages’ – Kelly turned professional with Arsenal. She took the bold decision to move to Everton, initially on loan, in 2016 even though it led to homesickness and regular calls to her mum Jane and dad Noel.

‘If I hadn’t gone to Everton, I don’t know if I would be in the position I’m in now at City and pushing on in my career,’ she says. ‘I could have been satisfied with sitting on the bench at a top club but I needed minutes under my belt. I needed to show what I was capable of on the pitch, not just the training pitch. I don’t think a lot of people would make that leap of moving to a city I’d never been to before at such a young age.

‘It was very daunting. Because I was such a family girl, I got homesick and every opportunity I got I would be back, but I knew it was the best for my career.’

Kelly was fourth in the Women’s Super League scoring charts with nine goals for Everton when the season was ended. City, who were top at the time but saw Chelsea crowned champions on a points-per-game basis, signed Kelly in July 2020 and she scored an impressive 10 goals and made 11 assists in her first season in Manchester.

‘Once I found out City were interested in me it was a case of, ‘OK, when can we get it done?’. I can’t wait to get going,’ says Kelly. ‘There are a lot of England internationals here and that was massive for me. If I get another call-up, it’s easier going into that environment by playing with those players day in, day out.

‘I looked at playing with the likes of Steph Houghton and Jill Scott, learning, adding to my game. I’m ambitious and I want to be the best version of myself.’

She only made one appearance in the WSL last season after suffering a heartbreaking ACL injury which jeopardised her ability to compete in this summer’s Euros.

But she roared back and made Sarina Wiegman’s squad for the home tournament.

It was the latest rally back from injury that Kelly had to endure. She made her England debut in November 2018 as a substitute against Austria in a friendly but suffered an ankle injury that required surgery the following February.

It kept her out for six months and out of contention for a place at the 2019 World Cup, where new team-mate Ellen White scored six goals as England reached the semi-finals.

But the demons of missing out on that run have been banished by her heroics in the Euros final yesterday, following up on a spilled ball in the 20th minute of extra time to send England into dreamland.