How Hampton overcame odds to become England's number one

Born pinch a superior oculus condition, England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was told by doctors she should not play football.

The 24-year-old has had aggregate operations to effort and correct her imagination but it is not cleanable and she still has extent cognition issues.

It is singular she has defied nan likelihood and is now heading to Euro 2025 arsenic England's number one.

"I've ever gone done life trying to beryllium group wrong," Hampton said.

"I was told from a young property that I couldn't play football, that it wouldn't beryllium a occupation I could pursue. But present I am."

Hampton has been utilized to setbacks and her profession has been acold from smooth.

She was dropped by England months aft being portion of nan winning Euro 2022 squad.

She was forced to beryllium herself again and has bounced backmost and risen to nan top. This is nan communicative of her journey.

When Carla Ward arrived astatine Birmingham City arsenic their caller head successful 2020 she had already heard astir teen Hampton.

"We said connected nan first day. I wanted to cognize wherever she wanted to be," Ward told BBC Sport.

"She was an endearing character, arsenic good arsenic being a livewire, for illustration astir goalkeepers. But she articulated things successful a measurement that was acold much mature than her age.

"It was connected time 2 that I really saw what everyone was talking about. She was 1 of nan astir talented individuals I've ever worked with.

"Everyone has different talents but she was calved to beryllium a footballer."

Hampton collapsed into nan first squad astatine nan property of 16 aft switching positions from a striker to a goalkeeper, and was good known successful England's younker squad set-ups.

Her world head astatine nan time, Rehanne Skinner, had seen her talent up close.

"She played pinch some feet. There are very fewer group successful nan crippled who tin play disconnected their weaker ft and deed it 60 yards pinch pinpoint accuracy," said Skinner.

During an England Under-19s crippled against Sweden, Skinner instructed Hampton to do 1 point - deed it long.

"Hannah sewage an assistance wrong nan first 10 minutes of nan game. We won 4-0. Not a batch of goalkeepers person those tools," said Skinner.

"As clip has gone on, pinch maturity, being successful nan correct settings and doing a batch of activity down nan scenes, she has grown and put her attraction into utilizing those strengths to nan champion of her ability."

Ask anyone astir Hampton and they each opportunity nan aforesaid point - that she is technically talented and fantabulous pinch nan shot astatine her feet.

Former Birmingham and England team-mate Ellen White said Hampton would get progressive successful 'rondos', external successful training and playing outfield "wasn't alien" to her.

But erstwhile Hampton revealed nan extent of her oculus condition - called strabismus - successful nan media, White admitted it was "probably a daze to a batch of people".

"She astir apt has to accommodate a spot to combat it, but you wouldn't ever cognize if you saw her training. She is crazy and would propulsion herself astatine anything," added White.

"Her passing scope is 2nd to none, nan measurement she moves and dives, and controls nan ball. She's up location arsenic 1 of nan astir breathtaking young goalkeepers successful world football.

"Maybe she helped power different group who thought they couldn't beryllium a goalkeeper."

Like each young players thrust into nan limelight, White admitted Hampton was a "little immature" erstwhile they first played together astatine Birmingham.

"Her emotions would return clasp of her a lot, which they would do for immoderate 16-year-old, and it was astir dealing pinch nan ups and downs.

"You won't prevention a extremity each time. Managing her emotions needed time, acquisition and understanding.

"I tried to return her nether my helping a small spot and springiness her that guidance. I felt astatine that clip she would beryllium a very bully goalkeeper but she needed immoderate help."

Hampton roseate done England's ranks, making her elder debut against early world champions Spain successful 2022.

She made nan squad for Euro 2022 but months aft celebrating triumph - often seen dancing pinch White during laps of honour - her profession deed a stumbling block.

Reports suggested she was dropped from nan England squad because of her behaviour and she had to hold until March 2023 for a recall, erstwhile head Sarina Wiegman said Hampton had "sorted retired individual issues".

Speaking astir that time, Hampton said nan stories were "hurtful" and she revealed connected nan Fozcast podcast, external precocious that she had considered quitting football.

"I was a very young woman erstwhile each nan stories came retired and you're not really prepared for that. You don't expect it," she told reporters connected Tuesday.

"There person been moments erstwhile everyone [in nan squad] has astir apt thought they were successful a reliable position, but you get each different retired of it.

"You can't fto each nan media scrutiny win. If you do that it conscionable adds substance to nan occurrence and I wasn't consenting to judge that.

"I wanted to show who I americium arsenic a personification and show that wasn't ever true. I thought 'just excavation in'. I deliberation I tin opportunity that I've proven group wrong."

Ward managed Hampton astatine Aston Villa astatine nan time, having brought her pinch her from Birmingham.

She fielded questions astir Hampton's business successful news conferences and near nan goalkeeper retired of nan squad against Chelsea for nan "best interests" of nan team.

"We had an aligned statement betwixt Sarina, myself and Hannah connected really we would thief her pinch it," said Ward, reflecting connected nan time.

"It was a difficult clip for Hannah but it was astir apt a infinitesimal that really helped her. It was nan infinitesimal she realised she had bully support astir her.

"She was a young kid that conscionable really needed support."

White, who captained England for Hampton's debut, retired from world shot conscionable earlier she was dropped from nan squad.

But White believed Hampton "just needed time" to mature and felt she did that nether erstwhile Chelsea head Emma Hayes erstwhile she joined them successful 2023.

Having "an limb astir her shoulders" helped, said White, arsenic good arsenic nan thrust to go Chelsea's number 1 and get different changeable connected nan world stage.

"It's evidently not perfect not being selected for England. A batch of things transpired. Fair play to her because she did conscionable get her caput down and activity hard," said White.

"She conscionable had to rebuild immoderate of those relationships and summation them backmost successful nan England squad. I consciousness for illustration she fto her shot do nan talking.

"Everyone goes done ups and downs, rollercoaster emotions and going successful and retired of nan squads. I americium really proud of her. I'm excited to spot her astatine nan Euros."

Ward and Hampton stay successful adjacent contact. The goalkeeper phones during Ward's question and reply pinch BBC Sport, asking what sanction her girl wants connected nan backmost of a caller England garment successful clip for Euro 2025.

"It doesn't astonishment maine really good she has done. I ever knew she would beryllium England's number 1 and I deliberation she's 1 of nan champion I person ever seen," said Ward aft confirming her girl wants 'Hampton' printed connected nan backmost of her shirt.

Hampton's assurance appears to person grown immensely this twelvemonth aft playing a cardinal domiciled successful helping Chelsea declare an unbeaten home Treble.

Reflecting connected her journey, she said: "It has been a spot of a whirlwind. Did I think, erstwhile I was a young girl, I'd beryllium sitting present correct now successful nan position I am? Absolutely not.

"But I americium proud and I americium looking guardant to nan challenges ahead. I deliberation it's going to beryllium a summertime of very breathtaking football."

Hampton hopes to "fill nan gloves" of erstwhile England goalkeepers, including Mary Earps, who announced her daze status past month.

Earps is simply a two-time Fifa Best Goalkeeper grant victor and played important roles successful England's triumph astatine Euro 2022 and en way to nan 2023 World Cup final.

White admits she "feels sad" that Hampton will not beryllium capable to pat into Earps' acquisition during nan tourney and location is now moreover much scrutiny connected nan goalkeeping spot.

"It would person conscionable been bully to person personification to beryllium location for her and walk connected that experience," said White.

"She conscionable needs to person a bully first crippled - that is what I want for her. It won't beryllium easy against France because their frontline is outrageous.

"She needs to do nan elemental things and not do thing different. If she makes a flimsy mistake, I dream that doesn't impact her and she tin move forward.

"Everyone is human; everyone makes mistakes and that's fine. It's conscionable nan scrutiny will beryllium truthful overmuch much now."

But Hampton appears astatine ease. She said she is enjoying training pinch uncapped goalkeepers Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse - and she is ready.

"We're conscionable location to get astir 1 another," she added. "We cognize whoever's connected nan transportation is going to beryllium putting successful 100% and doing a very bully occupation for England."