England's substitutes have become a tight-knit group at Euro 2025, says Kelly
With the defending champions playing Sweden in the Euro 2025 quarter-finals on Thursday, Kelly, whose shirt-waving celebration was the defining image of the last final, described the camaraderie among England's super subs.
Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones scored as substitutes in England's 6-1 thrashing of Wales, and both made a beeline for the bench, snapping their fingers.
"A little group of us have a group chat, the finishers as you called it, and the positive 'clicks' we called it on the bench," Kelly said at England's training base in Zurich.
"You've probably seen we all click (our fingers), and everyone's like, 'What are they doing?'
"We said if one of us comes on and scores, let's do that as our celebration," she added.
"We work really hard on the training pitch and in the gym. Probably this sometimes goes unnoticed, but it's about sticking together, being at our best for when called upon, and training hard to get the best out of each other."
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore July BTO launch to have over 4,600 balance flats, 2 BTO projects with under than 3-year wait
Singapore Baby died after mum took abortion pills and gave birth in toilet; coroner records an open verdict
Singapore Acute psychiatry services to be expanded across all healthcare clusters: MOH
Singapore Alleged Toa Payoh cat killer and abuser handed new charge of torturing sixth cat
Singapore 'Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction
Singapore Asia-Pacific will need over 230k new pilots, 250k aircraft maintenance technicians by 2042: ICAO chief
Business Tycoon Robert Kuok's daughter Kuok Hui Kwong appointed CEO of Shangri-La Asia
Multimedia Telling the Singapore story for 180 years
The image of the 27-year-old Arsenal forward whirling her shirt above her head after her goal at Wembley is among the most renowned in European women's football.
Kelly knows that there are football fans with tattoos of that image. The notoriety she has received since then took some adjusting to, she said.
"But I'm just me, a girl from West London enjoying football, and that's what I'll continue to be throughout my career," she said. "I just love the game of football, and hopefully we can have many special memories as England together."
Kelly still watches the video of that goal, a tap-in from close range, on YouTube.
"I think it's just a special memory for me, one that I watch quite often if I ever need a little smile," Kelly said. "It's an incredible memory for me and my family. My mum sends it to me quite often as well. So it's nice to have such a special memory at an incredible stadium like Wembley."
There was concern earlier this year that Kelly might not make Sarina Wiegman's Euros squad because she was barely playing at Manchester City. She publicly expressed a desire to move ahead of January's transfer window, and Arsenal signed her first on a loan spell and then a free transfer after her City contract expired. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
England's success at Euro 2025 is keeping tattoo artist busy
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Semi Final - England v Italy - Stade de Geneve, Lancy, Switzerland - July 22, 2025 England's Lucy Bronze and teammates pose for a picture on the pitch before the match REUTERS/Denis Balibouse BASEL, Switzerland - England defender Lucy Bronze has been in high demand at Honey Studio London since she smashed home what turned out to be the winning penalty in the Lionesses' nail-biting quarter-final shootout victory over Sweden at Euro 2025 last week. Grace Mills, a hand poke tattoo artist who works out of Honey Studio, estimates she has done a half dozen tattoos of the veteran England player in her number two shirt, pumping her fists in celebration, since that memorable night. With England set to face world champions Spain in the final on Sunday in Basel, Mills said -- win or lose -- her books are filling up for more Lionesses tattoos next week. "Football, especially women's football, really celebrates community and people's different ways of showing their style, whether it be fashion or tattoos, and celebrating community through individualism," Mills told Reuters. "And so, I think it's a really big crossover between people who love football and also love tattoos." The Australian, herself a "massive football fan", has also done tattoos in commemoration of Arsenal winning the women's Champions League earlier this year and England's victory at the 2022 Euros. "I just always loved designing tattoos that are around things people are super passionate about, and designing them in a way where people who want something a bit more simple or subtle or more feminine, and celebrate sport as well," she said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road South sinkhole removed; road remains closed for repairs Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Life Vet Talk: Pet owners and vets need to work together to prevent infectious zoonotic diseases Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Singapore For Singapore to do well, PAP govt has to continue to hold its own: SM Lee Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 Singapore Mum at 15: More teens in Singapore gave birth in 2024 Business Already owning 5 properties, woman wanted elderly dad's 4 homes Mills' Euro 2025 tattoos are in collaboration with the Lionesses and creative agency This Fan Girl. An England supporter made headlines after he got an early "Euro 2024 Winners" tattoo before the men's final last year. England ended up losing to Spain. REUTERS
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Spanish harmony to battle English resilience in Women's Euro final
BASEL, Switzerland - Sunday's final of the Women's Euros in Basel pitches the two best European teams of the current generation against each other, as a unified Spain side bristling with technique and intelligence takes on an equally talented England side that never gives up. Both sides have overcome adversity on their way to the final, with Spain almost losing playmaker Aitana Bonmati to a pre-tournament meningitis scare, and Sarina Wiegman's England coming close to elimination twice in the knockout round, only for late heroics to see them through. "We need to be at our best to beat Spain. I think they need to be at their best to beat us, too," England captain Leah Williamson told a media conference on Saturday. "I think there's a lot of respect between the two teams, and I'd be hesitant to rule an underdog in this scenario." Both sides said that all 23 squad members were fit and available for selection on Sunday, setting the stage for what is expected to be an intriguing battle of skill, wit and nerves. Defending champions England may not have played particularly well in their five games so far, but they have displayed an uncanny ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the knockout stage, first with a shootout win over Sweden and then with a come-from-behind extra-time victory over Italy. "I know that we've left it late," Williamson admitted. "(That was) definitely not the plan, we'd really like to wrap things up a little earlier and a little easier if we could." Spain have also gotten off to several slow starts, but they have still run out convincing winners in their five games to date, eventually finding a way to break down their opponents. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar "We have a particular way of playing, of training, we are very confident. Even if we won the games, there are things always that we can correct, things we see on video that we practice, and that's our line of work," Spain captain Irene Paredes said. The Spain team for Sunday's final is a much more harmonious one than the one that took beat England 1-0 in the World Cup final in 2023, when several of the best Spanish players boycotted the tournament in a dispute with coaching staff and their federation. Though Spain won that game 1-0 to claim their first major title, Montse Tome's squad has given a much more unified impression in Switzerland, with none of the negativity that surrounded them at that World Cup. "(This tournament) shows the change we are making, and right now I believe that, for all their efforts, the squad deserves to win," Tome said. "When you are in the elite football world that's not always the case, but we will do everything to win the final tomorrow." Spain's only defeat in their last 14 games came at the hands of Sarina Wiegman's side in the Nations League in February, and they will be slight favourites for Sunday's decider, but Paredes said such labels make little difference when the game kicks off. "I think both teams deserve to be in the final. We wanted to be there, at the beginning of the tournament that was our objective, to play six games. We're on our way. Tomorrow is number six," she told reporters. "We don't like this idea of being favourites. We know what it takes to be here, what we have to suffer, and we have to be focused." Sunday's final takes place at St. Jakob-Park stadium in Basel, with kick-off at 1800 CET (1600 GMT). REUTERS
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Spain feeling the love ahead of England showdown in Women's Euro final
BASEL, Switzerland - The Spain soccer squad has been riding an unprecedented wave of support ahead of their Women's Euro final against England on Sunday, where they will attempt to add the European crown to their world and Nations League titles. Competing in the final for the first time, the Spaniards are enjoying every moment as fans pack the stands at the Swiss stadiums and fill the town squares back home, watching the team's games on big screens. "What we feel is that love, we are thankful, it's very exciting. In the recent past, we couldn't imagine that. Now (the fans) can (help us) win a game, they can send the game to extra time," team captain Irene Paredes told reporters at a media conference on Saturday. "Some people may like us or not, but the reality is that when there's a game on public television, people are there... and to those followers, thank you, and please continue supporting us, because what we get here is lovely. We feel it, and that helps a lot," she added. It's a far cry from the fractured squad that won the World Cup in 2023, despite several key players boycotting the tournament due to a dispute with the Spanish football federation and the team's coaching staff. "What we get from Spain is love and support, we get the different provinces where the final will be shown, we get all those vibes, it's a support we have always felt," coach Montse Tome said of her current squad. "I don't know if responsibility is what we feel - we feel motivation, we are very happy and it's clear for us that our heads, our focus will be tomorrow on the task every player has to do. We'll put our energy there tomorrow," she added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar Tome's side's recent successful run suffered a blip at the 2024 Olympics when they lost the bronze medal game to Germany, but they got their revenge against the Germans with an extra-time win in the semi-finals, and they are keen to continue adding to their trophy cabinet. "I think during the whole tournament we've been writing history, entering the semi-finals for the first time, going to the final for the first time as well, beating Germany for the first time and I feel we've been accomplishing objectives," Tome said. "We are playing six games (at the Euros), and what I believe is that England defends the title - they are the current champions and we will play them again, we will compete, we will enjoy the game and, of course, we want to win." REUTERS
