Hannah Hampton was dropped from the England squad in late 2022 due to reported attitude and behaviour issues. She was recalled in March 2023, and manager Sarina Wiegmaof confirmed that everything had been sorted out.
Instead of giving up retirement or throwing the toes out the pram, she's waited for her time to come.
She has recently spoken about this dark period in her life and said the stories were hurtful, and she considered quitting football because of the stories that came out about her
She moved to Chelsea and fought goalkeepers to become the number one choice for both Emma Hayes and Sonia Bompastor. This season, she proved herself as England's number one, and she finally got the one on her shirt at her third major tournament—the first one in which she will play a role on the pitch.
This seems like a fantastic story, but to add to that, she had a serious eye condition and was told by doctors she should not play football as she could not perceive depth; therefore, she does not know the distance the opposition is at in comparison to where she is.
She said to BBC Sport: “I’ve always gone through life trying to prove people wrong
“I was told football wouldn’t be a profession I could pursue, but here I am.”
White admitted it was "probably a shock to a lot of people".
"She probably has to adapt a bit to combat it, but you wouldn't ever know if you saw her training. She is crazy and would throw herself at anything," added White.
"Her passing range is second to none, the way she moves and dives, and controls the ball. She's up there as one of the most exciting young goalkeepers in world football.
Carla Ward met Hampton as a manager in 2020 at Birmingham City and had this to say.
“She was one of the most talented individual I’ve ever worker with
“Everyone has different talents but she was born to be a footballer.”
Her international manager Rehanne Skinner spoke about the keepers ability to play with both feet, a skill few players can do. She can play off their weaker foot and hit it 60 yards accurately.
In a game for England under-19s against Sweden and within the first 10 minutes she already had an assist.
Hampton's confidence appears to have grown immensely this year after playing a key role in helping Chelsea claim an unbeaten domestic Treble.
Reflecting on her journey, she said: "It has been a bit of a whirlwind. Did I think, when I was a young girl, I'd be sitting here right now in the position I am? Absolutely not.
"But I am proud and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead. I think it's going to be a summer of very exciting football."
Hampton hopes to "fill the gloves" of previous England goalkeepers, including Mary Earps, who announced her shock retirement last month.
Fun Facts
- She moved to Villarreal at age 5 to join Villarreal CF academy as a forward before switching to a goalkeeper after returning to England
- She's played for Stoke City, Birmingham City, Aston Villa and is currently at Chelsea.
- WSL Golden Glove with 13 clean sheets in 2024-25
- As of June 2025: 15 senior caps and 7 clean sheets
- Bilingual in English and Spanish, and. learned sign language to communicate with her cousin.
- Serves as an ambassador for Birmingham Children’s Hospital
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