England star Chloe Kelly expressed her gratitude to Sarina Wiegman for the trust placed in her, highlighting that the coach “gave me hope when I probably had none.”
Kelly was fundamental in England’s victory at the 2025 European Championship, securing the title with a decisive penalty in the penalty shootout against Spain, after a 1-1 draw after extra time.
The player had already been the heroine in the 2022 European Championship, scoring the winning goal against Germany. In this edition, her impact was notable from the bench, standing out against Sweden and scoring the winning goal against Italy. In the final, she assisted Alessia Russo’s equalizing goal and converted the winning penalty.
This triumph crowns a year full of ups and downs for Kelly. In January, she considered leaving football due to her situation at Manchester City. However, she joined Arsenal on loan, a team she later joined permanently, and participated in the Champions League final, which her team won against Barcelona. Now, she adds the title of the Eurocup 2025 to her record.
Kelly also added: “If that’s a story to tell, for someone who may be experiencing something similar, the difficult moments don’t last forever. Around the corner was a Champions League final, which I won. Then a European Championship final, which I won. Thanks to everyone who wrote me off, I am grateful.” Regarding Wiegman’s role, Kelly commented: “It’s incredible. She’s an incredible woman, what she has done for this country, we should all be very grateful. What she has done for me individually, she gave me hope when I probably had none. She gave me the opportunity to represent my country again. I knew I had to get playing time and representing England is never a given.” Kelly continued: “But what she has done for women’s football, not only in England, she has done it in the Netherlands, she has taken it to another level. The work does not go unnoticed by the staff behind her, they are incredible people and I am very grateful to have worked with such incredible staff members.”There were many tears at the end, especially when I saw my family, because they were the people who helped me get through those difficult and dark times.
Chloe Kelly
