Lionesses went from sloppy to celebratory in nerve-shredding euros quarter-final
So when her phone started ringing with a FaceTime call, she broke off speaking to the media about reaching the Euros semi-finals to answer it.
And then share the call with the room in Zurich.
After such a nerve-shredding night, this was the moment to relax and just savour it all.
Savour how close they came to throwing it all away against Sweden before staging a stirring comeback inspired by Lucy Bronze.
The 33-year-old scored the goal that began the fightback with 11 minutes to go and converted England's final penalty in the shootout.
"Lucy Bronze is one of a kind," England manager Sarina Wiegman said. "It's that resilience, that fight. I think the only way to get her off the pitch is in a wheelchair."
The Lionesses looked down and out, 2-0 down after 25 minutes.
Completely outplayed. A defence run ragged. Just too sloppy.
"We said at half-time we don't want to go home," Hampton said. "So it's up to us to turn the game around."
That only came after Wiegman deployed the substitutes the manager calls "finishers".
They fulfilled their mission.
"Sweden in that moment had to adapt to some different things in the game," Wiegman said, "before they could, it was 2-2."
Within seconds of coming on, match-winner Chloe Kelly showed the missing spirit. The spirit that saw her score the Euro 2022 winner.
A creator of two goals in 103 seconds.
A cross headed in with 11 minutes to go by Bronze - the only player still playing from the Euro 2013 group-stage elimination.
It was a lifeline seized on so quickly.
Another cross from Kelly was this time brought down by Beth Mead before Michelle Agyemang.
The timeliest of goals from the teen - a first tournament goal on her third appearance as a sub.
But there would be the anxiousness of extra time to follow, unable to find a breakthrough.
So to the shootout that lasted 14 penalties between them.
Hampton said: "It was stressful watching and playing, I thought every single time when I saved one, 'Please score and give us a cushion'. I feel so happy and relieved."
Around Alessia Russo and Kelly scoring there were four England misses before Bronze converted England's seventh and Sweden missed a fifth.
A frenzied 3-2 shootout win was complete.
"I can't remember anything like this," said Wiegman, who has only reached finals in her four tournaments with the Netherlands and England.
"I thought three times we were out," she said.
But instead it's off to Geneva for the European champions for a semi-final with Italy.
They'll be hoping it's less of a struggle, less dramatic - while just glad to have made it there.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
England cricketer points finger of blame at India for growing animosity before Fourth Test
England vs India has grown into quite the bad-tempered affair, with three Tests down and the hosts leading the series 2-1 after an extremely heated atmosphere at Lord's Harry Brook has warned India the gloves are off and England will stick up for each other again at Old Trafford, saying: 'You don't always have to be nice.' Good-natured contests at Headingley and Edgbaston evaporated in a heated atmosphere at Lord's, where England's gripping 22-run win to go 2-1 up in the series was fuelled by growing animosity. When the fourth Rothesay Test opens on Wednesday Brook says there will be more tension and tetchiness - and he insists India started it. England were piqued when openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were picketed by a posse, with Indian captain Shubman Gill at the forefront, in a time-wasting row at Lord's, and Brook ringleader of a dressing room summit where they concluded: 'We're not standing for that.' Mohammed Siraj was later fined 15 per cent of his match fee for giving Duckett a voluble send-off, pumped-up Jofra Archer returned the compliment after scattering Rishabh Pant's stumps and Brydon Carse and Ravindra Jadeja were involved in a mid-pitch collision. Brook insists England's aggression did not cross a line, and he was among the players who were gracious in their commiserations with the distraught Jadeja and Siraj when India's last pair fell agonisingly short of a sensational win. But the blue touchpaper has been lit - and England's white-ball captain even admitted the fiery antagonism was 'good fun.' As Hampshire spinner Liam Dawson was drafted into the England XI to replace the injured Shoaib Bashir, Brook was unrepentant about the change of atmosphere. He said: 'I've had a lot of compliments. Everybody said it was awesome to watch. It was good fun - I have to admit, it was tiring but it made fielding a lot more enjoyable. "I think it put them under a little bit more pressure. The opportunity that arose for us to not be the nice guys was because of what they did (to Crawley and Duckett). We just thought, 'We're not standing for that'. "We had a conversation and said, 'It's time to not be those nice guys that we have been before'. You don't always have to be nice. It was good fun, but we were doing it within the spirit of the game. 'We weren't going out there effing and jeffing at them and being nasty people. We were just going about it in the right manner.' Asked if England will season the pot with even more spice as they chase a series-clinching win, Brook replied: "God knows. We'll see whether it happens again and whether it works. "We were just putting them under more pressure. Baz (coach Brendon McCullum) actually said a few days before that we are too nice sometimes, and I brought it up the night before the last day. 'I said, 'Baz said we're too nice, I think tomorrow is a perfect opportunity to really get stuck into them'.' For the second time in eight months, Brook was knocked off the No.1 spot in the Test batters rankings by Yorkshire team-mate Joe Root at Lord's. He said: "Everybody wants to be number one (in the world), don't they? Joe is a phenomenal player. I'm not in the same league as him. In my opinion, he's the best Test batter of all time. So I'll let him have that one for now." India firebrand Siraj, whose in-your-face send-off for Duckett ended with the pair brushing shoulders, expects more needle, warning: 'Yes, (we will see more of it). I'm thinking what we need, what a player needs is sledging.' New ball demon Jasprit Bumrah and Pant, who damaged a finger keeping wicket at Lord's, are both expected to be declared fit by India.
Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Watch the awkward moment Sir Alex Ferguson gatecrashes Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick podcast recording - before legendary Man United boss makes firm demand to former stars
Rio Ferdinand has shared the moment his former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson awkwardly gatecrashed the recording of his latest podcast. Ferdinand posted footage of him in conversation with his ex-Man United team-mate Michael Carrick, who has since embarked on a career in management. The clip showed the pair mid discussion, before Ferguson appeared in the background of the restaurant where they had set up to record. 'What's this,' Ferguson said upon seeing his former stars and the set-up to record the podcast, which is also part of Ferdinand's YouTube channel. Ferdinand and Carrick both immediately respond 'alright boss', before Ferguson quickly issues a demand to the duo. 'I'm not doing this podcast,' Ferguson responds. When the Boss (Sir Alex) walks in & interrupts your recording… wait till the end when his phone rings 😂 Even after 12 years, we still can't find the courage to tell him off!! Rio Meets Michael Carrick 👌🏽 — Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) July 21, 2025 Ferdinand and Carrick were quick to reassure the 83-year-old, who has spoken infrequently since retiring in 2013, that the cameras were not there for him. 'No, no, no. We're going to talk after. You go and get a coffee, boss,' Ferdinand said. 'No, we're just finishing now,' Carrick adds, with Ferguson replying 'Oh, you're just finishing?' Carrick replied: 'Yeah, don't worry, this is not for you.' The pair continued to reassure the 13-time Premier League winning boss, with Ferdinand saying 'We're going to get a bit of food with you after. You've not dressed for the camera, boss, have you? You've not dressed up for the cameras.' 'Have a quick coffee, boss, and we'll be with you in a sec,' Carrick continued. 'Did you think this was for you? Ferguson offered a cheeky comment two his former Man United stars as he walked away to find a seat. 'I'll go sit over here, I just want to listen to the nonsense that you talk,' Ferguson said. Ferguson would ultimately interrupt the podcast recording again, with Ferdinand's clip revealing that five minutes later the former manager's phone loudly rang as they continued to record. 'It's fine, it's the gaffer, we've just got to get on with it,' Ferdinand declares when Carrick asks whether they need to record the section of the podcast again. Carrick and Ferdinand's reverence to Ferguson comes with the pair having won five and six Premier League titles respectively under his management at Man United. The pair were part of Man United's 2008 Champions League winning side, as well claiming two League Cups under his management. Ferguson has also been known to have passed on advice to his former players who have moved into management, with may have been a topic broached during their subsequent meal. Carrick had served as manager of Middlesbrough from October 2022 until his sacking back in June. He had guided the club to the Championship play-offs in his first campaign but suffered defeat in the semi-finals, before eighth and 10th place finished in his next two seasons in charge. Ferdinand's podcast with Carrick had included a discussion about Ferguson's impact on his career, as well as his time as a coach at Man United under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
BBC News
15 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Rashford's United exit leaves unanswered questions'
In this modern world, where image means so much, the post uploaded onto Marcus Rashford's social media feed on Sunday was was on a private plane, heading to Barcelona, playing cards with his brothers Dane and he shuffled the deck, one card was shown, half turned over. The ace of this was deliberate. The card itself is positive, symbolic. More impactful than, say, the three of diamonds or six of it also captured the sentiment of genuine affection around the those inside Old Trafford, who have known for so long there was no chance of a return, no possibility of Ruben Amorim's arm being placed round his shoulders as he was ushered back into the fold, privately wish Rashford well and hope he makes a success of it at the Nou know the striker needs a spark that will return him to the levels he is capable of and that just wasn't going to happen at the club he supported as a boy and joined as a were flashes of it during his half season on loan at Aston Villa in 2024-25 but the consistency was still missing. Rashford was looking at alternatives anyway but it is not certain Villa manager Unai Emery would have tried to sign the forward permanently, even if the Spaniard's side had qualified for the Champions is a completely different level. They are the club Rashford has had at the top of his wishlist for two seasons. If he cannot be motivated to play alongside Robert Lewandowski or driven by the challenge of lining up with Lamine Yamal, who has emerged as a teenager on an even higher trajectory than Rashford did himself a decade ago, then major questions will be asked about his career as a whole. Rashford move 'very good business' for Barca Some have asked why Barca would want Rashford in the first stripped back, they have cut a really good tried, and failed, to sign Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao in the summer, they needed to strengthen their attacking positions. Aside from a now 36-year-old Lewandowski and Yamal, who is half his age, Hansi Flick only has Brazilian Raphinha and former Manchester City forward Ferran Torres to choose knew from past discussions with Rashford's familythat the player was keen to join them, as he said earlier this summer in an interview with Spanish influencer Javi Ruiz."Everyone wants to play with the best," he said. "Hopefully... We'll see."This followed comments from Barca's sporting director Deco, who had said how much the club liked him, and Liverpool's Luis Diaz."When we go to the market, there are names that we know and that could improve the team," he told Catalan radio station RAC1 in May."We like Luis, we like Rashford and we like other players," he structure of the deal suits club's once perilous financial position, though improved, is not perfect - it is unlikely they will be in a position to register Rashford immediately, although that will not stop him from training or playing in non-competitive would clear him to be part of this month's three-match tour of Japan and South Korea, which includes a game against K League outfit FC Seoul, who, ironically, include Rashford's former team-mate and close friend Jesse Lingard in their that backdrop, a loan that contains an option, not an obligation, to buy, with the fee set at €35m (£30.3m) represents very good Rashford does well and gets close to the levels that earned him his current £325,000-a-week contract in the first place, he would be worth far more than the sum Barcelona would have to pay for someone who would then still only be 28. If he doesn't succeed, they can just send him back to Old Trafford. There wouldn't even be the need for the penalty clause Chelsea had to pay to get out of signing Jadon Sancho this United, there is a benefit club's hope will be that they and Amorim will be able to move on and construct their own future without repeated questions about a player who, in reality, has had one outstanding season in his last five. Even club legends such as Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs have said it is probably now time for Rashford to try something new. 'A move that brings a sense of sadness' Rashford clearly still has a lot of friends at Old Trafford, and not just Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony and Tyrrell Malacia, who were also told by Amorim they must train at times when the main group are not even at Carrington. Plenty of his former colleagues in the current United squad liked his post from the private there is a delicate path to about Rashford's impending exit after the 0-0 draw with Leeds in Stockholm on 19 July, Amad Diallo dealt with the matter brilliantly."The only thing I can say is good luck to him but I'm more focused on United and my team," said the leave for their three-match pre-season trip to the United States on Tuesday. Amorim is not due to speak to the media until Friday, two days after Rashford's planned unveiling by chances are the Portuguese manager will be asked to respond to the move and whatever Rashford has said about it but after that he should be able to deal with the more important issue of turning Manchester United into a winning team though a parting of the ways has been inevitable for some time, there is a sense of sadness that a club which prides itself on bringing players through its youth system should have found itself in a situation where it is compliant in the exit of the 15th highest all-time scorer - 138 - and 23rd highest appearance his age, Rashford could comfortably have made the top 10 in both lists and deservedly been the recipient of legendary United that accolade is in doubt from both sides. 'A relationship beyond repair' Clearly, the player does not think he has been treated well - and that Amorim is not solely responsible for this. The feeling of those close to him is that ties at United have been severed and relationships cannot be a club perspective, that ill-fated trip to Belfast in January last year, which Rashford extended without permission, visited nightspots on two consecutive nights and was then late for training, is viewed as a lack of commitment that subsequent performances on the pitch did little to Rashford scored the first goal of Amorim's reign, in his opening game at Ipswich Town in November, within a month the Portuguese reasoned the player's attitude was it suits United for Rashford not to be on the scene given his huge salary and a strong desire to drive down the overall wage bill at the loss-making the nagging feeling persists there is more to this situation, some kind of smoking gun to explain how it all ended like Ferdinand thinks that, as he articulated on his You Tube channel."There must have been so much going on behind the scenes that we're just not aware of," the six-time Premier League winner said. "And Marcus isn't someone who really wants to talk and do interviews, so you have to respect that. But I'm sure it'll come out in the wash at some point."Is it because of a lack of form? A lack of confidence? Mismanagement? Have the club failed him? Or is it down to him? Is there injuries we don't know about? Has he lost that desire? That form has gone and he can't rekindle it?"What are the issues that have led to a young kid that's a graduate of the academy at Manchester United, which is famous for all of the great players that have come through there, [saying] he wants to leave?"Or is it the manager saying he is going to put a marker down with one of the biggest players at the club? There are a lot of unanswered questions."It might be a while before we get them.
