England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton slyly kept her penalty shootout ‘cheat sheet’ taped to her arm on her way to becoming England’s hero against Spain.
Hampton, 24, saved two spot-kicks from Mariona Caldentey and Aitana Bonmati to help the Lionesses retain their Euro 2025 crown in Basel.
The two teams were taken the distance in the nerve-shredding showdown after Caldentey’s first-half breakthrough was cancelled out by Alessia Russo’s header.
As Sarina Wiegman looked to gee up her penalty takers in a huddle, Chelsea stopper Hampton was spotted in the dugout in conversation with a coach.
The cameras then revealed a piece of paper taped to her forearm that showed the likely directions Spain’s superstars would look to send their efforts.
Goalkeepers have historically kept their notes on their water bottle, running the risk of the object being taken and handing the opposition a last-ditch advantage.
But Hampton’s ploy paid off in style, clearing the way for Chloe Kelly to convert the winning penalty and spark jubilant scenes of celebration for the Lionesses.
As the ticker tape fell, the goalkeeper revealed Wiegman delivered an inspirational message to her troops before the shootout, declaring: ‘This is England!’
‘I think this is our moment,’ Hampton added. ‘We’ve dug in for the 120 minutes, done what we’ve needed to do to keep Spain out.
‘It was just one kick and that was it. Better pens than the last time, let’s be honest!’
Hampton also saluted the never-say-die spirit of her team-mates, saying: ‘This team’s just unbelievable, incredible. We’ve shown throughout this tournament we can come back when we go a goal down. We’ve got that grit, we’ve got English blood in us.
‘We never say die and we just keep going and we did that again today.’
According to Betfair, Hampton is now the second favourite to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, behind only Masters champion Rory McIlroy, after the Northern Irishman sealed the career Grand Slam of Majors.
It marks a remarkable rise for Hampton, who was an understudy to Mary Earps during England’s Euros triumph in 2022 and at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Earps herself won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2023 after saving a penalty in the World Cup final – also against Spain – albeit in a losing cause.
Incredibly, Hampton was born with a serious eye condition and was told by doctors that she should not play football.
She underwent several operations in an attempt to correct her vision but still suffers from depth perception issues.
‘I’ve always gone through life trying to prove people wrong,’ Hampton said.
‘I was told from a young age that I couldn’t play football, that it wouldn’t be a profession I could pursue. But here I am.’
