The incredible journey of the 'cross-eyed girl' who became England's heroic goalkeeper

England’s women’s semi-final appearance at the 2025 European Championship was nothing short of a miracle. They were 2-0 down to Sweden after just 25 minutes but scored twice in the final three minutes to send the game into extra time, followed by a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. Fourteen shots were taken but only five were successful. The girls from the foggy land had three and advanced with pride.

The hero of that incredible comeback was undoubtedly Hannah Hampton. She made two crucial saves to keep the score at 0-2, giving her teammates the motivation to fight back, before fighting back and levelling the score. In injury time, a collision caused blood to flow from Hampton’s nose. However, she did not collapse. Instead, she regained her composure and focus, successfully blocking two penalty kicks from Sweden.

At this point, those who thought Hampton was unworthy of succeeding the retiring Mary Earps were forced to bow their heads and admit they were wrong. So were those who years ago did not believe Hampton could play football - let alone be a goalkeeper.

Hampton with a bloody nose in the quarter-final against Sweden.

Hampton was born with strabismus, a condition in which his eyes cannot focus on the same point, and one or both eyes may be misaligned.

"Every time I poured water I had to hold the cup tight and concentrate, otherwise it would spill on the floor," she recalled, "and I always had to do that because I had no depth perception. In theory, it was completely unrealistic for me to be a goalkeeper." That's why everyone said Hampton couldn't play soccer.

Over the years, Hampton has undergone numerous surgeries at Birmingham Children's Hospital to correct her vision, but still struggles with depth perception. This hasn't stopped her from playing football, though.

Hampton's excellent performance has sent England women's team into the semi-finals of EURO 2025.

In her early years, Hampton moved with her family to Spain. In a country filled with football, she played everywhere, from school grounds to beaches and even churchyards. Villarreal scouts noticed the talent of the young girl, who loved to play as a midfielder and striker, and then brought her into the Academy.

Returning to England at the age of 11, Hampton joined Stoke City’s youth academy, continuing her attacking role until becoming an emergency goalkeeper, replacing an injured teammate. She played both positions in the following years before settling on a permanent role as a goalkeeper.

This is why Hampton is so good at controlling the ball and playing with both feet. She can also make short and long passes with great accuracy. When she played for England U19s, Hampton once assisted a long ball.

saveinstato-297279049-1254670211741848-6603134738412930594-n.jpg — As a child, Hampton played forward, not goalkeeper.

Hampton’s rare skills made her a highly sought-after goalkeeper. After spells with Birmingham and Aston Villa, she joined Chelsea, keeping 13 clean sheets and helping the Blues go 22 games unbeaten in the 2024/25 season.

Hampton's career has not been all roses, though. After winning the 2022 European Women's Championship with England, she decided to hang up her gloves, ending a football career that had just begun. At that time, Hampton was accused of inappropriate behavior and was dropped from the national team as well as losing her starting position at Chelsea.

However, Hampton stood up again, put the doubts behind her and tried to express herself. "I wanted to show everyone the real version of me and prove everyone wrong. Actually, looking back on what I've been through, what I've always tried to do is refute prejudice, like the fact that I play football to dispel the advice that I shouldn't pursue football," she said.

Now, the "cross-eyed girl" makes everyone admire her, and will take her straight to the temple of legends of foggy football if the England women's team successfully defends the European championship.