"England's No.1!" - Lionesses star from Staffordshire bounces back
Lionesses goalkeeper Hannah Hampton flipped her critics on their head with a starring role in England's 4-0 demolition of the Netherlands at Euro 2025.
Hampton - a former pupil of Erasmus Darwin Academy in Burntwood - faced criticism and scrutiny in the build-up to the tournament after her emergence as No.1 hastened the retirement of Lionesses legend Mary Earps.
The pressure only increased after an opening defeat to France, but a clean sheet against the Dutch, as well as a 60-yard pass in the build-up to the opening goal that went viral, had fans chanting "England's No.1" - even if she didn't hear them.
"I was too focused," the former Blues and Villa keeper told the BBC. "I thought I can't do anything sloppy for them to say anything else, so I was quite focused on the game, but I think that's lovely to hear.
"Next time I'll try and listen out for it, but I think I might get in trouble if I'm not focusing on the game - but it's lovely."
Defeat for England would have seen the reigning champions eliminated at the group stage after Wales were beaten 4-1 by France later that night, but from the moment Hampton scythed open the Dutch defence, England did not look back on their way to a 4-0 triumph.
"We just wanted to get them on the back foot and we thought they would then drop off and they didn't, so we just kept going and going and going," added Hampton. "It caused them problems - they were uncomfortable a lot of the time - so it worked in our favour and why change something when it's working so well."
Asked if she preferred the clean sheet or the pass, Chelsea ace Hampton added: "I'll take the clean sheet because technically I've not got the assist have I? That's the next aim, get the assist.
"But, no, I think defensively we were secure - I don't think they had a shot on target all game. I'm quite clean, so I quite like that."
