Heroic Hampton: Journey to the Lionesses
- therookiereporters
- Jul 22
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 7
Who is the girl to fill Mary Earps’ boots for the Women’s England Football Team? Meet Hannah Alice Hampton, the 24 year old girl born in Birmingham who was always destined for World Football.
Early Life and Career
Hannah Hampton grew up in Warwickshire before emigrating to Spain when she was 5 years old. During her time in Spain she was scouted for Villarreal CF, playing as a striker. In 2010, she and her family moved back to England where Hannah joined Erasmus Darwin Academy in Burntwood, Staffordshire to complete her secondary education. During her time as a student, she juggled school life with training for Stoke City Centre of Excellence. This was when Hannah made the switch from scoring goals to saving them.
Club Career
Hampton joined Birmingham City Centre of Excellence in 2016 and went on to compete in many matches before signing her first professional contract with the club in December 2018.
After the departure of the previous goalkeeper, Hannah saw an increase in selection for matches, playing 12 out of 20 of the WSL games in 2018. In 2019, she then signed another contract which lasted until 2021. Over the course of two seasons in WSL she played all but one match, kept 6 clean sheets and had a 66.5% save rate.
Hannah signed with Aston Villa in 2021, then Chelsea in 2023. Her debut for Chelsea turned heads, with a 3-0 result against Bristol City and she was soon promoted to first choice goalkeeper for the club. During the 2024/2025 season, Hampton kept 13 clean sheets in 22 league appearances. It was this hard work, fierce determination and tenacious attitude to her sport which earned her the season’s Golden Glove award.
International Career
Hannah quickly rose through the ranks of international football, starting when she was just 12 years old with the under-15 squad. She then joined the under-17 squad in the 2017 UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship before moving onto the under-19 squad, where she competed in the 2019 UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship.
Just before the covid lockdown, Hampton was called-up to the England senior team, and by October 2021 she was set to compete in the 2023 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. However, her very first senior appearance actually ended up coming in 2022 for the Arnold Clark Cup. Later that year, she was included in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 England Team, who went on to win the tournament.
In April 2024, Hampton featured in the lineup for the Euro 2025 qualifying games. Now, she is representing her country in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025. After her phenomenal performance in the quarterfinals against Sweden, Hannah has been the talk of the sporting world. With the win seemingly slipping away from England, Hampton bravely stepped up at just the right moment to save the Lionesses. Extra time proved difficult, with neither country scoring, leaving the match to be decided in penalties. Hannah, despite having a nosebleed, powered through and was able to help secure England’s place in the semifinals with her outstanding saves. This thrilling performance meant that she was named player of the match - her valiant efforts being rewarded.
Heroic Hampton
If you still don’t think Hannah is incredible, then hear this! She was actually born with an eye condition (strabismus) which affects her depth perception. Depth perception is crucial in any sport, especially as a goalkeeper, due to the need for excellent body-eye coordination. Hampton underwent 3 surgeries as a young child in an attempt to correct her sight. In addition, she speaks fluent Spanish and learnt sign language to communicate with her deaf cousin. Now, if that doesn’t show the kind of person Hannah Hampton is, I’m not sure what will!
Glory to be for the Goalkeeper?
With the anticipation growing as the Women’s Euros progresses, will Hannah be able to keep delivering such strong and consistent performances? Tomorrow, England will face Italy in the semifinals, so let’s hope that she can continue to show the world more of those jaw dropping saves and help guide England to the finals!
Article written by Alice Seager ©️Alice Seager 2025
