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Agent 'no idea' Hampton in conference when he rang

Agent 'no idea' Hampton in conference when he rang

Yahoo2 days ago
The mystery caller who rang the England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton during a press conference says he had "no idea" she was being interviewed and "never expected her to answer".
Paul Crockford, who is Hampton's agent, decided to FaceTime her shortly after she saved two crucial penalties against Sweden and secured England a place in the Euro 2025 semi-finals last Thursday.
Mr Crockford, who has managed the Birmingham-born goalkeeper for seven years, said he was keen to congratulate her and just wanted to tell her how proud he was.
"We had all been watching in London, and as you can tell, we were a bit excited. When she showed us we were on her screen, we were like, 'Blooming heck'," he said.
Mr Crockford described Hampton as "an incredibly determined person" and said she was "a joy to work with".
The 24-year-old, who was brought up in Studley, Warwickshire, and later went to school at Erasmus Darwin Academy in Burntwood, Staffordshire, made her debut for England in 2022.
Mr Crockford said she had been "fighting" for the number one spot as a goalkeeper since then, but her performance in the quarter-finals against Sweden had changed things.
"What the other night did was seal and cement her position as a number one keeper for England," he added.
"It's been a very long journey for us... we first met her nearly eight years ago, and we've seen her ups and downs and just been with her every step of the way," Crockford said, who previously managed musicians, including Dire Straits and Tears for Fears.
"She's fantastic to work with and an inspiration to other players and fans - she's been a dream."
The Chelsea goalkeeper's agent described their journey together as "incredible" and said he was "unbelievably proud".
England will face Italy on Tuesday at 20:00 BST for a place in the Euro 2025 final.
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More on this story
'We knew Hannah would be England's Number One'
'Don't ever write us off!' - Hampton on England win
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UEFA Women's Euros
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