When Spanish media recently approached Hannah Hampton for a post-match interview during these Euros, they were stunned by the England goalkeeper’s fluent response – in Spanish.
But her flair for languages (she also learned sign language to communicate with her deaf cousin, Ethan) is just one of the many hidden layers beneath England’s No 1.
At a young age, Hampton was diagnosed with strabismus – a depth perception condition caused by one eye turning differently than the other. By the age of three, she had already undergone three operations in an attempt to correct the issue. None proved successful, and doctors advised her to avoid playing sports altogether.
Such was the difficulty of the problem that she would struggle to pour herself water, spilling it all over herself if she wasn’t holding the glass.
But even as a child, Hampton wasn’t one to be deterred. Despite frequent bloody noses and broken fingers – early results of her misjudging ball trajectory – she was determined to keep playing.
‘I think I’ve always gone through life trying to prove people wrong,’ she said. ‘I was told from a young age that I couldn’t play football, that it wouldn’t be a profession I could pursue – the doctors told my parents that.’
Instead, that warning only fuelled her ambition. ‘Finding that out made me more determined to reach the highest level possible. Playing sport was always my passion and my dream.’
That dream began taking shape when her family moved to Spain when she was five. Her parents wanted her to learn a new language and culture, but it also opened footballing doors. Hampton was soon scouted by Villarreal and joined their academy, spending five years on Spain’s east coast learning to play as a striker.
Still, she insists she had no plans to take a penalty for England on Thursday, unlike Sweden’s goalkeeper Jennifer Falk, who missed their fifth and final spot-kick in the shootout.
‘They told me to focus on the saving part first and then when it comes to it I would’ve taken one,’ a delighted Hampton said after the match. ‘I get a bit excited – my striker instincts come out!’
There hasn’t always been a jubilant mood radiating from Hampton, and part of that has come down to a difficult journey to get to where we are today.
Her vision issues have never fully disappeared, and for someone as emotionally attuned as Hampton, the rollercoaster of goalkeeping – with its dizzying highs and brutal lows – has at times taken its toll, especially in her younger years.
Thrown into the spotlight at 16 after joining Birmingham City, she found a mentor in England legend Ellen White, who took her under her wing.
‘Her emotions would take hold of her a lot, which they would do for any 16-year-old, and it was about dealing with the ups and downs,’ the former England striker told the BBC.
‘You won’t save a goal every time. Managing her emotions needed time, experience and understanding. I felt at that time she would be a very good goalkeeper, but she needed some help.’
In 2021, Hampton made the move to Aston Villa, where manager Carla Ward quickly recognized her exceptional talent. ‘One of the most gifted individuals I’ve ever worked with,’ Ward said.
Hampton earned her first England call-up in 2022 and was named in the Euros squad behind Earps – but just a year later, her international career nearly derailed. Reports emerged that she’d been dropped due to ‘bad behaviour and attitude’ at team camps.
Those headlines cut deep. Hampton later admitted she considered walking away from football entirely. But Ward described that low point as a turning moment: ‘It helped her realise how much support she actually had.’
Where the truth lies behind the rumours isn’t entirely clear, but it’s all water under the bridge now, with Hampton working her way back into Sarina Wiegman’s plans just five months later.
‘You can’t let all the media scrutiny win,’ Hampton recently admitted. ‘I think if you do that it just adds fuel to the fire and I wasn’t willing to accept that.
‘I wanted to show who I am as a person and show that wasn’t always true. So I just thought: “Just dig in.” I did that and I’m sat here right now. I think I can say that I’ve proved people wrong.’
While she may have once been driven by a desire to silence doubters, this summer she has been focused on proving one person right – the England manager.
Wiegman endured one of the biggest tests in her careers with many questioning her management style when Earps dropped out of the squad after having been told that Hampton had usurped her.
And yet, here we are, with England in another semi-final with Hampton having made headlines for all the right reasons.
She had the game of her life against Sweden on Thursday night, including two penalty saves in the shootout that sent the Lionesses through. It followed a standout moment earlier in the tournament – her stunning, line-splitting assist against the Netherlands in the group stage.
The harmony within England’s goalkeeping unit this tournament has been clear to see. The trio of livewire Hampton, the composed, cool-headed 30-year-old Anna Moorhouse, and the larger-than-life Khiara Keating has offered balance and energy in equal measure, and the three are enjoying each other’s company.
‘It’s been a difficult couple of years within the England environment,’ Hampton added.‘All the girls were ecstatic, they’ve seen all the hard work that I’ve put in and how difficult it’s been and how they’ve helped me get to the point that I am now and being happy to be wearing an England shirt again. I just want to do whatever I can for the team to get that win.’
In a finale that lacked real quality from the penalty spot, Hampton stepped up and proved she belongs.
