Grit, broken bones and goosebumps - My month with the inspirational Lionesses
When the chorus of Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline rang around Basel's St Jakob Park on Sunday night, I had goosebumps. I'd heard this song blasted across stadium speakers countless times over the last four weeks. But this moment was different.
With her signature bunny hop run, Chloe Kelly had just scored the winner - a rocket shot penalty against Spain. It was an outcome fans could have only dreamed of at the start of this tournament, and one many secretly feared too good to be true.
Ahead of their Euros campaign, the Lionesses were blighted with major losses to their squad just days before it was announced. Former captain Millie Bright stepped down from the running on account of prioritising her mental health.
While Mary Earps, who won the Golden Glove for her performance at the Australian World Cup, and Fran Kirby, who helped make history at Euro 2022, both retired from international duty.
All of this cast a shadow of doubt over the team, who just three years ago had enjoyed a historic 2-1 victory over Germany at Wembley in the last Euro final. But now they faced a whole new challenge; to do it on foreign soil.
Things looked bleak when their opening game against France saw England lose 2-1. It must have prompted a war cry from boss Sarina Wiegman, whose players were so galvanised by the loss that they could barely wait for the next game.
I'll never forget the brutal honesty from Georgia Stanway who candidly told reporters she didn't want to do a press conference because she was "fed up of talking" and wanted to "put things right on the pitch". The Lionesses went on to thrash the Netherlands (4-0) and Wales (6-1), after promising to deliver some 'proper English' football.
And if the group stages alone weren't enough of a sensational comeback, nothing could prepare us for the drama the squad had stored up their sleeves. With a few rest days ahead of our quarter-final match against Sweden, we decided to visit the women in yellow and blue to see what they were made of.
We drove from our hotel in Zurich to the Swedish base 30 minutes away in Cham. As they walked out onto the training pitch and began pelting footballs around, I gulped - 'they're huge', I thought.
Sweden were the first ever team to win the Women's Euros. They beat England 4-3 on penalties in its debut year of 1984, but have never been able to win back the title since.
The match is legendary in their country, it was a mud bath that became known as 'The Battle of Kenilworth Bog' due to the state of the pitch in Luton. But after England knocked Sweden from a place in the Euro final in 2022, the Swedes felt it was time for revenge this year.
And when the Lionesses were still 2-0 down against them at 79 minutes, I thought 'they're finally going to get it'. The next 103 seconds will go down in footballing history.
In less than two minutes, the Lionesses' oldest and youngest players; Lucy Bronze, 33, had both scored sending the fans into a frenzy. Even Sarina Wiegman admitted the subsequent penalty shootout was 'hard to watch', with several missed chances on both sides.
When England won, Zurich's Stadium Letzigrund erupted. The was relief and disbelief was palpable. Even in the media room, everyone still seemed to be buzzing with adrenaline.
By the time the semi-final with Italy arrived, fans, players and their families alike were desperate for a straightforward win in 90 minutes.
No-one wanted to spend another 120 minutes with their hearts in their mouths. But it would be another last-gasp victory for the Lionesses, who won in the 119th minute inside a packed out Stade de Geneva.
And then the scene for the last act was set; England would face Spain, who had clinched the World Cup from them in such heartbreaking style just two years ago. Fans began texting me from back home to see if I could help them secure tickets for the final.
Stories of people being forced off overbooked planes and fans scrambling to Switzerland on four-day coach journeys began streaming in. The Lionesses had sent the nation wild with their rollercoaster ride and everyone wanted to watch the last chapter unfold.
On the day of the final the atmosphere in Basel was a heady mix of excitement and nerves. Despite the magic we had all witnessed from this England team, every fan knew the pain Spain could cause if the red waves were allowed near our net.
I had been in the stands covering the World Cup final and watched, devastated, as the tearful Lionesses fell to the floor in defeat. So when Mariona Caldentey scored in the 25th minute my head fell into my hands. It felt all too familiar.
But if this team had proved anything, it was that England is never done. Alessia Russo's 57th minute goal settled the score, and when extra time couldn't find a goal it was time for another penalty shootout.
My chest was tight, I held my breath. But after two shocking misses from Spain, a big grin stretched across my face.
Cool, confident, Chloe Kelly walked up for her spot kick. I thought 'there's no way she's missing this'. A euphoric roar ripped through the stands, everyone was on their feet. The 27-year-old who just six months ago admitted she considered quitting football had scored the winner in a Euros final again.
Silver and gold confetti rained from the sky, fireworks blasted from the pitch and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I started thinking about all the fans I've met at these major tournaments, who have spent thousands to be here for this moment.
The mums and daughters, fathers and sons, the ladies in their 60s and 70s who never could have dreamed of a sold out women's final like this in front of 34,000 fans.
My five-year-old niece watching back home, who is obsessed with princesses and now Lionesses too.
And just when I thought they couldn't show more grit, resilience and determination; the news breaks that my favourite player, Lucy Bronze, has played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia in secret.
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