‘a Massive Contribution’: Wiegman Heaps Praise On England Hero Hampton

Sarina Wiegman said England ne'er doubted Hannah Hampton’s expertise aft nan Lionesses goalkeeper made 2 important shootout saves to thief send England done to nan Euro 2025 semi-finals amid singular play successful Zurich.

The Chelsea keeper, who was named arsenic England’s caller No 1 by Wiegman successful May when Mary Earps retired from world duty, besides made 2 captious saves successful normal clip to thief England conflict backmost from 2-0 down to destruct Sweden.

“She didn’t person [any] doubters successful our bubble. I deliberation she had a very awesome performance,” Wiegman told BBC Sport. “She had immoderate very bully saves successful nan 2nd half. She had 1 punishment connected nan correct broadside that was an unthinkable save. Pretty large publication today.”

Wiegman later added successful her property conference: “[She made a] monolithic publication to a very bully squad performance. The result was really bully and really nan squad stuck together, but she had a large publication to that.”

The England caput coach besides praised Lucy Bronze, whose header helped spark nan second-half fightback. Wiegman added: “Lucy Bronze is conscionable 1 of a kind, I person never, ever seen this earlier successful my life.

“I’m a very fortunate personification that I’ve worked pinch truthful galore unthinkable group and unthinkable shot players, and location are so, truthful many, but what she does and her mentality, and really she did that punishment and nan goal, astatine nan acold post, she gets it successful nan net. But that’s not what defines her. What defines her is that resilience, that fight. I deliberation nan only measurement to get her disconnected nan transportation is successful a wheelchair.”

Sarina Wiegman (centre) applauds nan England fans successful Zurich. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

Wiegman admitted she had thought England were going retired of nan title “about 3 times” during this tense quarter-final, but was intelligibly immensely proud of their comeback, adding: “This squad is conscionable incredible. They instrumentality together.”

Leah Williamson, nan England captain, admitted it was “awful to watch” nan punishment shootout but praised her teammates’ “incredible mentality” to conflict backmost and scope different semi-final. The Lionesses saw 4 of their penalties saved but still progressed pinch a 3-2 win, mostly acknowledgment to heroics from Hampton, having earlier battled from 2-0 down successful nan regularisation 90 minutes to nonstop nan crippled to other time.

“We don’t ever springiness up and we’ve said it before, we’re ne'er done, we ne'er judge that we’re ever done and nan fightback, nan value to move nan crippled astir and past enactment successful it mentality, conscionable incredible,” Williamson said.

“I conscionable consciousness really, really proud. That was atrocious to watch astatine nan end. [Penalties] are nan easiest and nan hardest point successful nan world.”

Hampton produced 2 important saves successful nan shootout, first from Filippa Angeldal, who took Sweden’s first spot kick, and past from Sofia Jakobsson successful abrupt death, erstwhile Jakobsson had nan chance to triumph nan contest. Sweden besides fired 2 penalties complete nan barroom and Magdalena Eriksson struck nan station arsenic they missed 5 of their 7 attempts overall.

Hampton, who was named arsenic Uefa’s subordinate of nan match, said: “I deliberation it shows that due England is back. We’re getting successful nan correct direction. Everyone would beryllium putting their bodies connected nan line, literally, you tin spot that retired there. Everyone is simply a spot battered and bruised.

“You cognize everyone has sewage your backmost retired location and tackles were made erstwhile they needed to be. Players took it upon themselves to make judge that nan squad stayed coagulated passim truthful if they had a spot of a niggle they decided to travel disconnected for personification other who they knew would beryllium 100 per cent to spell and make a quality because it was decidedly a good statement betwixt nan consequence today.”

The Lionesses will look Italy successful Geneva connected Tuesday for a spot successful nan final. The Italians are successful their first semi-final since 1997, while nan Lionesses are successful their sixth consecutive awesome tourney semi.