Hannah Hampton: Doctors told me I couldn't play football – now I'm England No 1

Telegraph

4 hours ago

Hannah Hampton says she is striving to live up to the legacy of Mary Earps as the goalkeeper prepares for her first major tournament as England's No 1.
Hampton's rise to be England 's first-choice goalkeeper is all the more remarkable for the fact she was born with strabismus, an eye condition which affects depth perception. She underwent multiple operations as a child and was told by doctors that she would not be able to play sport because of that inability to judge distances, but she has continually defied such predictions.
She has previously joked that being a goalkeeper, where being aware of the ball's exact location quite an important part of the job, 'doesn't really make a lot of sense', but being told she could not do something 'made me more determined to get to the highest level possible. It was always my passion to do sport and it was my dream'.
Yet Hampton has recently opened up about how she considered quitting football after reports emerged of her allegedly being dropped from the England team because of a poor attitude in 2022, which Hampton insisted were inaccurate.
Speaking about why she decided to carry on playing, Hampton said: 'I've always gone through life trying to prove people wrong.
'I was told from a young age that I couldn't play football, that it wasn't a profession I could pursue, the doctors told my parents that.
'I'm here right now. You can't let all the scrutiny win. 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 [the stories] weren't always true. So I 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.'
She managed to put that turbulent period behind her, joining Chelsea from Aston Villa in 2023 and working her way back into the Lionesses' set-up.
Hampton got her chance with England when Earps picked up an injury in May last year and performances against France and Sweden were impressive enough for her to retain her place. The two goalkeepers shared game time as Sarina Wiegman tried to decide who was No 1, with Hampton eventually getting the nod when she started both games against Belgium in April.
Earps made the shock decision to retire at the end of May after being told by Wiegman that Hampton was now the Lionesses' first-choice goalkeeper.
Hampton, 24, watched on as Earps won the golden glove at the 2022 European Championship and the 2023 World Cup but will now have the chance to replicate her former team-mate's achievements at this summer's Euros in Switzerland.
'It's been difficult for everyone to come to terms with what her decision is, but we have to respect that,' Hampton said.
'I've done everything I need to do. I've sent her a text and I congratulated her on a very successful international career and I think that's all I really can do.
'I'm not expecting anything back, she's been an unbelievable player. We're going to miss her as a person here. She's a big personality in this team and she glued us all together at times when we needed to.
'Now I've got to just go and live up to her legacy. I'll give it my best shot for sure.'
Hampton, who helped Chelsea achieve a domestic treble last season and was the joint-winner of the Women's Super League golden boot with 13 clean sheets, admitted knowing her place in the pecking order going into the tournament has been helpful.
'Getting that bit of clarity already helps you prepare for whatever your role is,' she said. 'My role is different this time around compared to the last tournaments but it's not going to change my mindset.