England’s Lionesses have captured the hearts of the nation following their historic win last night after beating Germany 2-1 at the Euro 2022 final.
But what do we know about Sarina Wiegman’s squad’s top players and their lives away from the pitch?
The team was led by captain Leah Williamson, who is balancing her career in football with training to be an accountant.
She was joined throughout the tournament by Lucy Bronze, who once worked at a Domino’s pizza takeaway, and self declared ‘girly-girl’ Alex Greenwood.
Meanwhile team-mate Georgia Stanway, who is dating Rugby League player Olly Ashall-Bott, also featured in the games – having won high praise from previous England Women’s boss Phil Neville, who has said the Manchester City player could be among the best in the world.
Elsewhere, teammate Millie Bright’s childhood was marred by hospital visits; she was only eight days old when she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Here, FEMAIL takes a look at the lives of the players when they’re not playing football…
CHLOE KELLY
The pair attended England Men’s Euro 2020 final at Wembley last year, when the Three Lions lost to Italy
Chloe Kelly with her boyfriend Scott. The pair have been together for at least three years. The pair celebrated their three year anniversary in June – with Chloe sharing a picture of them together with their dog
Kelly says her formative experiences on her west London estate helped improve her game
Chloe Kelly, centre, celebrates with Lauren Hemp, left, and Jill Scott after scoring the winner in the Euro 2022 final for England
Kelly with her mother. She previously shared a picture of her and her mother, under the caption: ‘Been so good being home with the family, and being spoilt by this beautiful Mumma’
Chloe Kelly appears to have a close relationship with her father, who has been a key supporter of her footballer career. The England star regularly shares pictures with her father, who regularly attends her games
Kelly has shared pictures with her father and her mother who have been key supporters of their daughter’s football career
As a youngster Kelly took the 92 bus from Ealing to go to Wembley on FA Cup Final day to collect a programme
Chloe Kelly would have found it hard to avoid football growing up. The youngest of seven children embraced the sport from the moment she followed her five brothers to a caged gravel pitch on the Windmill Park Estate.
Kelly was football-mad. As a youngster she even took the 92 bus from Ealing to go to Wembley on FA Cup Final day. Was she there to watch the match? No. She was there to collect a programme.
That yearly pilgrimage helped form the Lioness with the location taking on a whole new meaning yesterday: as she scored the goal at Wembley against Germany to bring England its first piece of footballing silverware since 1966.
‘I don’t think there are many who came up playing in a cage,’ says the 24-year-old. ‘I was always around the cage with the boys as soon as I was allowed, about the age of seven.
‘My brothers included me even though they were older and playing with their friends.
‘The whole summer we would get out in the cage early mornings, go back for some food and be straight back there.
‘A few years later, someone melted a bin in the middle. It wasn’t the best, but we had to make do with what we had!
‘Playing cage football really made me the player I am. It added a bit more creativity to my game and the physicality as well.’
Despite having five older brothers, Chloe said they weren’t always particularly protective of their baby sister.
She said: ‘They were probably the ones telling everyone to hit me harder. Get used to it. If I was on the floor, they would tell me to get up.
‘They never really felt sorry for me if I was getting knocked about. I think that was the way to go. If they made it easy, you would always think everything is going to come easy in life and that’s not the case. That’s how I’ve got so far today.
‘I was one of them. Looking back, I really appreciate that but less so at the time. I was a bit gutted going home and crying to my mum sometimes.’
She watches one of her brothers Jack, and the three triplets of the family, Ryan, Jamie and Martin play local league football when she’s back home in west London.
‘Jack still says now that he’s better than me,’ said Kelly who has another brother, Daniel, and sister, Paris. ‘He says, “I’ve taught you everything you know, but not everything I know”.
‘They don’t let me get too carried away. They always keep me grounded and that’s a great thing.’
Chloe was scouted by Queens Park Rangers at a school tournament and later turned professional when she signed for Arsenal.
While at the north London club she was regularly backed at matches by her supportive parents, father, Noel and mother, Jane, who attended her games.
The homebird moved to Merseyside to play for Everton in 2016, but frequently called her mother and father because she was feeling homesick.
However, now playing for Manchester City, Chloe is grateful for her time at Everton and believes it shaped her into the player she is today.
In her personal life Chloe is in a relationship with her boyfriend Scott and the pair celebrated their third anniversary in June.
After an ACL injury while playing in the Women’s Super League last season, Chloe’s future looked unsure and there was no guarantee she would even be able to play in the Women’s Euros 2022 – let alone score the winning goal of the tournament.
She has now sealed her place in history after tapping the ball into the goal in the 20th minute of extra time in the final against Germany and whipping her shirt off to celebrate – for which she was booked.
RACHEL DALY
Millie and Rachel spent last Christmas together during lockdown, with Rachel suggesting a difficult festive period was made much better for having Millie by her side
Rachel recently rescued a dog, Dexi, who she appears to be struggling to train. Playing on her name, she wrote: ‘The Daly struggle of trying to teach Dexi some discipline’
On Mother’s Day this year, Rachel posted a lovely tribute to her mother Louise, who she said is her ‘rock’
Rachel also paid tribute to her late father on his birthday on new year’s eve last year, saying she would have a Stella Artois beer in his memory
Millie and Rachel recently went to a fancy dress party in matching ‘goth’ outfits
Rachel makes the most of her time off the pitch and is often pictured enjoying the outdoors
Millie and Rachel are in a long distance relationship while Rachel plays for a team in Texas but the pair manage to keep their relationship strong
Millie Turner, 26, is also a Lioness who plays at a club level for Manchester United
After England’s 4-0 win over Sweden, Rachel (pictured during last night’s game) donned a cowboy hat imprinted with the England flag before strutting around the pitch to celebrate
Lioness and US National Women’s Soccer League player Rachel Daly is dating fellow footballer Millie Turner.
Millie, who plays for Manchester United, has also been capped for England as part of the Lioness squad, and has been pictured training with her girlfriend in the past.
The couple have a long-distance relationship while Millie remains in the UK playing for Manchester United, but according to her Instagram, she finds plenty of time to travel to Texas and see her girlfriend.
Photos show the pair sitting together at the beach and making a fuss of Rachel’s rescue dog Dexi.
During lockdown, the couple spent lots of time together, with Rachel posting a picture of the two of them on Christmas Day.
She wrote: ‘The hardest Christmas made as special as it could’ in an apparent reference to spending the festive period away from their families.
After England’s 4-0 win over Sweden, Rachel donned a cowboy hat imprinted with the England flag before strutting around the pitch to celebrate.
Posting a video of her girlfriend on Twitter, Millie wrote: ‘Guys if anyone else has anymore videos of Rach dancing please send them me cos I am laughing my head off.’
She added: ‘You can take a girl out of Texas but you can’t take the Texas out of a girl.’
Rachel appears to have a very close relationship with her mother Louise, and wrote a lovely tribute to her on Mother’s Day this year.
Posting a photo of herself and her mother on Instagram, Rachel wrote: ‘There won’t be enough days in my life to celebrate you.
‘You have been my rock since day one, literally. You have given me strength when I’ve felt weak, you’ve shown me light at times of darkness, you’ve given me absolutely everything I’ve ever needed to be the person I am today and for that, I will be forever grateful.
‘You’ve also provided me with the greatest gift in my life and that’s our family. Even when I am a million miles away, talking to you every morning makes my day.
‘I love you more than any words could ever say, mamma. Happy Mother’s Day.’
Rachel also seems to have had a close relationship with her late father who passed away last September, writing a tribute to him on his birthday on new year’s eve.
Posting a photo of herself and her father wearing Leeds United shirts, she wrote: ‘Happy Birthday Pops. Today was always all about you, as it absolutely should be.
‘You were the life and soul of the party and I’ll be raising a stella to you today. I miss you more than ever, all my love always.’
After her father’s death, Rachel posted several photos of him supporting her at matches, both at a club and international level.
She wrote: ‘He had the warmest, most purest heart, and a smile that could light up every single room he walked into.
‘My worst critic, my biggest fan, my best friend and the greatest dad I could have ever asked for.’
JILL SCOTT
Jill Scott, 35, and her partner Shelly Unitt, 37, are still waiting to tie the knot after getting engaged during the Covid pandemic
Jill posted a sweet new year’s eve snap of herself and Shelly in 2019 and thanked her partner for ‘another year of memories’
Jill documented her lockdown walks with Shelly (pictured) who she described as her ‘isolation buddy’
Jill Scott (right) and her fiancée Shelly Unitt have been together for around four years
Shelly and Jill own a coffee shop, Boxx 2 Boxx coffee, together in Manchester
Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, with England’s Jill Scott after last night’s match
Midfielder Jill Scott, who also plays for Manchester City, is engaged to Shelly Unitt.
The pair, who have been together for around six years, own the Boxx 2 Boxx coffee shop in Manchester together.
As the sister of former Lionesses player Rachel Unitt, Shelly has long followed the England Women’s team around the world supporting her loved ones at matches.
Scott, 35, announced her engagement to Shelly, 37, two and a half years ago in a sweet Instagram post showing off her diamond ring.
Posting on Instagram over Christmas in 2020, Jill said she and Shelly had wanted to host an engagement party for their friends and family but lockdown meant they would have to wait.
During lockdown Jill posted photos of the couple out together on their daily walks in the countryside.
After the Lionesses’ sensational win last night, Jill showed how family-orientated she is, giving her grandmother a shout out during her post-match interview.
She said: ‘We got it, grandma… we’ve done it.
‘I can’t believe it! It’s such a privilege to be a part of this. What a day!
Jill was the only player in the squad to have played in the Euro 2009 final back in 2009, in which Germany beat England 6-2.
Speaking to 90min.com ahead of Sunday’s final, she said: ‘We don’t want to forget everybody that’s come before us and worn the shirt because that’s why we’re here today.’
After picking up her medal from Prince William, emotional Jill and the Duke of Cambridge shared a hug.
ALEX GREENWOOD
Alex Greenwood and Jack O’Connell, both 28, have known each other since their school days
Alex looked glam and tanned on her Ibiza holiday where she relaxed before gearing up for the Euros
Alex looked like she had chosen a peaceful setting for her holiday with stunning views
Alex (centre) often spends time with Manchester City teammates Ellie Roebuck (right) and Janine Beckie (left)
Like her team-mate Williamson, Liverpool-born Alex Greenwood, 29, joined a prestigious club at the age of eight, when she signed for Everton
Alex (pictured after the match) is known as one of the most glamorous members of the squad, with team-mate Jordan Nobbs previously saying she is ‘very big into her heels, her dresses and her eyelashes’
Like her team-mate Leah, Liverpool-born Alex Greenwood, 29, joined a prestigious club at the age of eight, when she signed for Everton.
She told The Telegraph: ‘I played up with them [boys] and they treated me like a little sister. They didn’t push me away. Not being disrespectful, but probably because I was just as good as them if not better than them.
‘So for them it was, “Why would we push her away? She’s as good as us”. Maybe I have a different story to other people, but I never struggled or suffered, being a girl. If anything I got respected more because I was a girl.’
She later joined Liverpool, before signing to Manchester United. She is currently with Manchester City.
Alex is known as one of the most glamorous members of the squad, with team-mate Jordan Nobbs previously saying she is ‘very big into her heels, her dresses and her eyelashes’.
In 2013, she revealed she is a ‘girly-girl’ and loves shopping as well as getting her hair and makeup done.
She told Liverpool Echo: ‘I’ve always been a girly girl and I love getting my hair done but that doesn’t mean I can’t play football.’
If there is anyone who understands the pressure of performing in a football match it is her boyfriend Jack O’Connell, 28, who plays as a centre-back for Sheffield United.
The couple met at school and have been together for several years but prefer to keep a low profile on social media.
They recently jetted off to Dubai for a sun-soaked holiday and shared snaps of the five-star experience on Instagram.
However, she tends to keep a low profile on social media, having previously spoken about how difficult she finds online abuse.
She told The Independent that abuse she received after moving from United to rivals City left her ‘wrecked’, adding: ‘I don’t think people were aware of how badly it actually affected me, because I didn’t let my football suffer…
‘Even if your notifications are off, every time you go on social media to engage with your friends or whatever, it’s there. And naturally as a human being, the negative ones stick. Those are the ones that play in your mind.’
LEAH WILLIAMSON
Captain of the Lionesses Leah Williamson was invited to her first ever Gucci fashion show in Puglia, Italy in May
Leah showed off her glamorous side on the trip in May and posted photos on Instagram
In June, Leah (left) celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at a street party, and joked she and her friend were ‘double trouble’ because of their matching outfits
Leah also went to Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne
Leah Williamson, a central defender, has been praised for having every attribute: pace, temperament and time on the ball
The Arsenal star has amassed 200,000 followers on Instagram, where she often posts images of her outings with fellow footballers like Alex Scott (pictured centre)
Leah recently took a trip to California with some of the other Lionesses (pictured with Keira Walsh)
Lioness captain Leah Williamson (right) spent new year’s eve 2019 with Arsenal player Jordan Nobbs (second from right), who missed out on the Euro 2022 squad due to injury, defender Lucy Bronze (second from left) and fellow Lioness Keira Walsh (left)
The Duke of Cambridge attended the England’s women football team training session during a visit of their training centre at St George’s Park, in Burton-upon-Trent
The 25-year-old, from Milton Keynes, has been playing since she was six and has called it her ‘first love and passion’
Leah Williamson, a central defender, has been praised for having every attribute: pace, temperament and time on the ball.
The 25-year-old, from Milton Keynes, has been playing since she was six and has called it her ‘first love and passion’.
She went on to join Arsenal at the age of nine, having been born into an Arsenal-supporting family.
After watching long jumper Greg Rutherford, who also comes from Milton Keynes, at the 2012 Summer Olympics she briefly considered switching her athletic focus to track and field.
However, luckily for the England squad she stayed focused on her dreams of becoming a footballer.
‘She leads by example and what you see is what you get,’ vice-captain Millie Bright said. ‘She is a very mature individual, both on and off the pitch. She is very calm in the way she leads.
‘It’s been a delight to see her lead the team out and it’s been a big moment for her.’ She’s a very humble person, and player, both on and off the field,’ White told the Scotsman.
‘I think sometimes with a captain, it is not just what you do away from the game – how you act around the team, and the media. And I think Leah is great with that because it isn’t an act – that is just her, and who she is.’
As well as balancing her career as a professional footballer, Leah is also training to be an accountant.
The Arsenal star has amassed 200,000 followers on Instagram, where she often posts images of her outings with fellow footballers like Alex Scott.
And in May, she was invited by Gucci to Puglia to witness her first-ever fashion show.
The captain was also among the footballers who met with the Duke of Cambridge last month and presented him with three football shirts for his children.
The BBC reports the captain of the Lionesses raked in around £200,000 last season, which is up to eight times the average UK salary for a female footballer.
In her time off the pitch, Leah appears to be a royalist, having celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a street party and a trip to Buckingham Palace.
This spring she also showed off her stylish side in Puglia, Italy, as she was invited to the Gucci fashion show.
DEMI STOKES
Demi Stokes, 30, and her fiancée Katie Harrington, have recently become parents
Demi and Katie, who works in the NHS, threw a baby shower for their son in May, a few weeks before Katie gave birth
After baby Harlen was born Demi posted a photo of herself carrying him out of the hospital and praised her fiancée for bringing him into the world
Demi looked emotional as she waved while wearing a gold medal after seeing the Lionesses to victory on Sunday night
Demi, who plays for Manchester City at a club level, won a scholarship to the University of Florida in 2011
Defender Demi Stokes’s career spans several years and continents, having first signed for Sunderland in 2007 after she moved there from her hometown of Birmingham.
In 2011 when she finished school, talented Demi received a football scholarship for the University of Florida.
After several years in the US, Demi returned home to the UK where she signed for Manchester City, and she made her 150th appearance for the club in 2021.
Off the pitch Demi lives the quiet family life with her fiancée Katie Harrington, an NHS worker.
In June the pair welcomed their first son, Harlen, after Katie gave birth. Since then Demi has juggled being a mother with training and has become the first Manchester City player to be a mother while still playing for the club.
Demi, 30, often invites her teammates over to cuddle up to baby Harlen, recently posting a photo of Lucy Bronze holding the two-month-old and walking him in the pram.
After Harlen was born, Demi posted a sweet tribute to Katie after what sounded like a tough labour.
She wrote: ‘I am so proud of you katie despite all the difficulties, you successfully brought our beautiful boy into this world.
‘You have made me the happiest and I will forever be grateful of you!’
GEORGIA STANWAY
Sports power couple: England’s Georgia Stanway with Rugby League player Olly Ashall-Bott
Georgia Stanway has won high praise from England Women’s boss Phil Neville, who has said the Manchester City player could be among the best in the world (pictured right, Georgia, and left, team-mate Leah Williamson)
Georgia often spends time out and about with other Lionesses who play for Manchester clubs, including teammates Alex Greenwood and Keira Walsh
The young Lioness (right) and her teammate Lucy Bronze (left) donned their bucket hats to go out in Manchester’s Northern Quarter
Rising star: New Bayern Munich forward Georgia was the youngest player in England’s World Cup squad three years ago but has already proved herself a natural leader and is considered an integral part of the team
She is currently signed to Manchester City, whom she joined as an 18-year-old from Blackburn Rovers (pictured right, Georgia with a friend)
In 2016, she was nominated for Young Sports Personality of the Year. It was the first in a string of nominations for the striker, who has gone on to be named the UEFA Women’s Champions League squad in 2018 and PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year in 2019
Showing up to support: Stanway turns out to cheer on her rugby-playing beau when her schedule allows (as seen above)
Born in Barrow-in-Furness, Georgia Stanway, 23, has been praised for her skills on the pitch for years.
She comes from a sporting family. One brother, JP, plays football for Holker Old Boys in the North West Counties League and another, Wyll, appears almost as frequently in the Barrow Evening Mail as she does, with his cricketing performances for Furness.
She credits competition with the two in the garden and on the beach as key to her development, as well as her Blackburn manager AJ Goodwin.
Having grown up idolising Alan Shearer, she moved away from her hometown aged 16 to pursue her dream of playing football.
Her coaches at City, where she was signed as an 18-year-old from Blackburn Rovers, say it is Stanway’s capacity to perform on any occasion which contributes to the stardust quality.
Stanway’s mother, Joanne, tells of one pre-season at Blackburn in which the then 15-year-old felt her goal scoring was rusty, after she had missed a few one-on-ones in a friendly.
Stanway put her mother in goal and, by her own account, she finished the session ‘black and blue, despite trying to dodge rather than save them’.
In 2016, she was nominated for the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year.
It was the first in a string of nominations for the striker, who has gone on to be named the UEFA Women’s Champions League squad in 2018 and PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year in 2019.
Phil Neville hailed her skills in 2019, saying: ‘If she keeps her feet on ground, keeps working hard, and keeps listening, she is going to be one of the best players in world football.’
The football star also shares a love of sport with her boyfriend: Rugby League player Olly Ashall-Bott, 24.
Originally from Cheshire, Ashall-Bott currently plays for Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Super League.
While the pair, who met in March 2018, seem very settled, they don’t plan to start a family any time soon.
The Mirror reports that despite many of Olly’s friends getting married, he and Georgia don’t have marriage or children in their immediate future.
During lockdown Olly and Georgia got into fishing to keep themselves busy, and the pair still enjoy their hobby together now.
NIKITA PARRIS
Nikita Parris, 28, from Toxteth in Liverpool, has 65 caps for the Lionesses and has played for Everton, Manchester City, Arsenal and Olympique Lyonnais
The Arsenal forward has used her Instagram account to post childhood photos showing how far she has come
Parris has a twin sister called Kelsey who now works at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary school in Toxteth, where they both went to school
Parris, pictured playing at an international friendly between England and Belgium, encourages other children from working class backgrounds not to give up
England Women’s star striker had such little encouragement at school she was forced to play football with the boys.
Nikita Parris, 28, from Toxteth, Liverpool, has certainly come a long way from kickabouts in the playground at primary school.
She attended St Patrick’s Catholic Primary where there was little-to-no provision for girls’ football and was always playing alongside the boys in her class.
She previously told GQ magazine she had high hopes for her career, saying: ‘I’m really willing to put myself out there and give it everything to be known as one of the best footballers in the world.’
The 28-year-old is often known as ‘Kita’ or ‘Keets’ to her loved ones.
She is one of three sisters and has a twin Kelsey, who now works at their old primary school.
Speaking to The Daily Mail in 2019, Parris’s mum Jo said her daughter, who was always kicking a ball about, ‘managed to avoid breaking the windows’.
Parris herself recalled breaking three windows when she was a child.
While playing alongside the boys, Kelsey said her sister fit in well – but would have stormed her way into their kickabouts even if they hadn’t accepted her.
She said: ‘Football was Kita’s way of making something of herself. Her determination: that was the difference between us.’
Despite being a die-hard Liverpool fan all her life who idolised Steven Gerrard, Parris began her career by signing for rivals Everton in 2010.
After a five-year spell at the Merseyside club she moved to Manchester City on loan in January 2015 before signing a permanent contract with the club a year later.
She remained in her beloved home city for university and graduated from Liverpool John Moores with a degree in sports development.
Fitting in her studies around playing football, the star was a part-time student while she completed her degree.
Speaking to The FA during her final year of study, the then 23-year-old said: ‘I always wanted a Plan B in case it didn’t work out for me in football or in case I got a serious injury.’
She added that, although she was playing football at a top level, the money she earnt ‘wasn’t enough to earn a living from’.
LUCY BRONZE
Lucy Bronze (second from right) spent the Easter weekend with fellow Lioness Keira Walsh (second from left) and their families
Lucy Bronze, 30, knows about hard work – having once worked in a Domino’s pizza takeaway
The Lioness joined the team trip to California in May and looked cool in sunglasses, a green top and white combat trousers
The dog lover often posts photos of herself and her little terrier walking around Manchester
She did not take the traditional pathway to success and there was a time when the defender, who has dual nationality through her Portuguese father, thought she might never play for the Lionesses
Lucy Bronze, 30, knows about hard work – having once worked in a Domino’s pizza takeaway.
She did not take the traditional pathway to success and there was a time when the defender, who has dual nationality through her Portuguese father, thought she might never play for the Lionesses.
She attended soccer camps in America with former US women’s coach Anson Dorrance, who later signed her to play for the University of North Carolina. Dorrance wrote to the FA as well as clubs in England to try and convince them of Bronze’s ability.
She previously explained: ‘I was 12-years-old and Anson said: “When you’re old enough we want you to play for the university, you’re going to be such a good player”, and he even wrote to a couple of people in England and told them about me. It kind of fell on deaf ears a bit, no one really got back to him. They might potentially be regretting that now!
‘To come from there, and take what is not considered the normal way, and make it to the top, makes everything I’ve done even more special. It makes my family even more proud and I can pat myself on the back a little bit harder for it.’
After training with Dorrance, who encourages competitiveness among his female players, the defender said his influence was a ‘turning point’ in her career.
Describing the fighting spirit he instilled in Bronze, Dorrance said he trained her in an environment where ‘every day is a war’ and you should be ‘beating your teammates to death to get better’.
Bronze has now capped 88 times by England and won the Silver Ball at the 2019 World Cup – the award which recognises the second-most outstanding player at the tournament.
She has played for City and Liverpool, and went abroad with Lyon for three years where she was earning around £140,000 a year. The experienced full-back then returned to City in 2020.
Overall, she won five trophies across both stints, having lifted the Women’s Super League, two FA WSL Cups and two Women’s FA Cups.
Last month, defender Bronze completed her medical and penned a two-year deal to seal her sensational switch to Barcelona for an undisclosed sum.
MILLIE BRIGHT
Born in Chesterfield in the East Midlands region of England, Millie Bright spent her youngest years immersed in equestrianism
Millie appears to be a dog lover, posting photos last summer of a beach day with her family and their French Bulldog
The Chelsea star (left), smiled on the shore with a family member
She began playing football at the age of nine, and decided to join the local team after seeing a friend play for the Killamarsh Dynamos
Born in Chesterfield in the East Midlands, Millie Bright’s childhood was marred by hospital visits.
She was only eight days old when she was diagnosed with pneumonia and at one point she was in and out of hospital every other day as a result of terrible asthma and a whooping cough which did not subside until after her 14th birthday.
‘It was really quite bad,’ Bright has previously said about her health problems.
‘Eventually I had a steroid machine at home to help me but before I was old enough for that I had to get an ambulance whenever I was having an attack in the night. That would happen several times a week.
‘Getting older, my asthma has settled down a little bit now, but back then I just had to decide whether I would let it stop me playing or not.’
Millie, a keen equestrian, began playing football at the age of nine, and decided to join the local team after seeing a friend play for the Killamarsh Dynamos.
She was later scouted by Sheffield United and joined their academy team until age 16 before moving to Doncaster Rovers Belles in 2009.
In December 2014, Bright signed with Chelsea ahead of the 2015 season where she remains today.
In her downtime, Bright, who lives in Surrey, enjoys family time or dog walks with her partner Levi, and says she isn’t fussed by the excess that comes with a footballing career.
She prefers casual clothes to big name brands, saying: ‘I don’t want young girls to think that you become a footballer and need expensive clothes to be validated.’
Bright, who has been barred from horse riding by insurers, is also invested in her charity work and is an ambassador for the children’s charity Make-A-Wish.
MARY EARPS
Mary Earps, 29, a talented Manchester United goalkeeper, grew up supporting Liverpool
On new year’s eve this year Earps donned a little black dress and posted a photo on Instagram. In the caption she joked: ‘Seeing in the NY as it should be done, at home in my slippers’
The goalkeeper, who made some thrilling saves throughout the Euro 2022 tournament, was left out of the Lionesses squad towards the end of Phil Neville’s reign
Earps could have progressed in judo after becoming a junior black belt at the age of 15
But Earps credits dancing lessons for giving her the confidence to shout at defenders on the football pitch
Mary Earps, 29, a talented Manchester United goalkeeper, grew up supporting Liverpool.
Earps could have progressed in judo after becoming a junior black belt at the age of 15.
But she credits dancing lessons for giving her the confidence to shout at defenders on the football pitch.
She says: ‘When you’re doing a singing and dancing solo on stage to Pop Goes the Weasel, demanding your defender goes a little bit right or left doesn’t faze you.’
Earps was third choice for England at the 2019 World Cup and was left out in the cold towards the end of Phil Neville’s reign and the interim period under Hege Riise.
It was Sarina Wiegman who brought the 29-year-old back into the fold and she has not looked back.
‘I had a period of time where I wasn’t involved and it was a very difficult time,’ Earps told Sportsmail earlier this year.
‘A lot of things happened behind closed doors. There was a lot of silence and a lot of loneliness and that was hard for me to deal with. Now I’m just enjoying and embracing every single moment.’
KEIRA WALSH
Keira Walsh spends lots of time with her fellow Lionesses and rang in the new year in 2020 with defender Lucy Bronze
In a round-up of her year at the end of 2021 Keira posted photos of herself with her Manchester City teammates including Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood
Keira Walsh is England’s midfield maestro and started out as a right-footed left back
Walsh made her Manchester City debut at 16 and often had to turn up to training in her school uniform
Walsh has previously spoken out about the pressure footballers face during a tournament
Keira Walsh is England’s midfield maestro and started out as a right-footed left back.
Walsh made her Manchester City debut at 16 and often had to turn up to training in her school uniform.
Former team-mate Karen Bardsley recalled: ‘She came in one day wearing these little frilly white socks with her school uniform. Then she goes and marks Kelly Smith out of the League Cup final.’
Walsh has previously spoken out about the pressure footballers face during a tournament.
She said: ‘Footballers are held to a higher expectation where they can’t have an off day, a day where they don’t feel great.
They’ve either got to play well or they are getting slated. I think a lot of people forget that players can have stuff going on.
‘But ultimately, I am a professional footballer, so I have to overcome that hurdle. I have to take it in my stride.’
In her spare time Keira appears to hang out with lots of her Manchester City and Lioness teammates including Lucy Bronze, Georgia Stanway and Alex Greenwood.
The pals are often spotted out and about in Manchester or enjoying themselves on tour.
ELLA TOONE
Glamorous football player Ella Toone has 88k followers on Instagram and regularly shares snaps of her nights out and training sessions
The Manchester United player previously played for Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers, and has represented England at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level
After leaving school, whilst playing for Manchester United, Ella (pictured with Alessia Russo) enrolled onto a Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport Science course at Wigan and Leigh College
She may be one of the youngest members of the team, but 21-year-old Ella Toone, from Manchester, is used to representing the country on an international stage.
The Manchester United player and fan first played for her club as a girl before returning four years ago following stints at Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers.
She has represented England at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level.
After leaving school, whilst playing for Manchester United, she enrolled onto a Level 3 Extended Diploma Sport Science course at Wigan and Leigh College.
The glamorous football player has 88k followers on Instagram and regularly shares snaps of her nights out and training sessions.
She still finds time to watch Manchester United at home and away.
‘I just love going and supporting; it’s been a part of me since I was a little girl. We get tickets for home games for if we’re not training,’ she said.’I’ve got a little source at the club who sorts me out away tickets but I’m not telling any of the girls that because it’s just me.’
BETH MEAD
Beth recently went to Wimbledon to watch matches on Centre Court with fellow Lioness and Arsenal player, Jordan Nobbs. Posting a photo of the pair on Instagram, Beth wrote: ‘Another day, another adventure with this one’
Beth is close to her family and posted a photo with her brother Ben and their mother at Christmas 2019. She wrote: ‘Christmas time means family time’
Proud brother Ben posted a photo of himself and his sister after she scored 50 goals in the Women’s Super League
Lifelong passion: Arsenal forward Beth Mead, 27, from North Yorkshire, started playing football at the age of six
Talented: Mead moved to Sunderland aged 16 and juggled a professional career with a degree in Sport Development from Teesside University and commitments as a coach to local schoolchildren
After starting out at a team called California Girls, Mead was picked up by the Middlesbrough Centre of Excellence, now known as Middlesbrough RTC
Arsenal forward Beth Mead, 27, from North Yorkshire, started playing football at the age of six.
‘I just loved all kinds of sports. Cross country, cricket – anything,’ she told Her Football Show.
‘I used to go to a local Sunday morning session and I’d play with the boys. I loved it from the first minute. My mum was warned that the boys were quite rough, and was asked if I’d be okay. But she said I was rougher than most of the boys.’
After starting out at a team called California Girls, Mead was picked up by the Middlesbrough Centre of Excellence, now known as Middlesbrough RTC.
She moved to Sunderland aged 16 and juggled a professional career with a degree in Sport Development from Teesside University and commitments as a coach to local schoolchildren.
Mead signed with current club Arsenal in 2017, following in the footsteps of England teammate Jordan Nobbs, who was an inspiration to her growing up.
‘She was in the age group above me [at the Centre of Excellence] but was known for playing for the England youth teams and a huge talent,’ Mead said.
‘I followed a similar pathway to her. She was at Middlesbrough, then went to Sunderland and now I’m at Arsenal with her. I told her that I was a stalker – I’m just following her!’
She made her debut for England’s senior team in 2018 and played in the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. However she missed out on the squad for the 2020 Olympics.
She credited the snub with driving her passion last season and says she now feels more ‘confident’.
‘Hopefully I can take that into the Euros,’ she told the Guardian last month. ‘I’m in a good place, I’m in a good headspace, my football has been good so I’m just trying to channel that energy in the right way.’
ELLEN WHITE
Ellen White and her husband Callum Convey have been together since their university days
Ellen posted a sweet tribute to Callum on his birthday in 2018 saying ‘think I will keep you forever’
The couple married in Aylesbury in 2014 after getting engaged a year earlier
England’s Ellen White poses with the trophy following last night’s final against Germany
England’s star striker Ellen White is married to sports development officer Callum Convery.
The pair met while they were both studying at Loughborough University and got engaged in 2013 before tying the knot the following year in a barn in Aylesbury.
Callum originally worked for the Nottingham Football Association, but when his wife signed for Manchester City and the pair moved up north he switched jobs.
Two years ago the pair committed themselves to completing a mammoth sporting challenge in support of The Darby Rimmer MND Foundation.
Ellen ran and walked a total of 150 miles in 30 days while Callum committed to running 150 miles during the same time period.
The charity was set up by husband of Lioness Steph Houghton Stephen Darby and Chris Rimmer, who are both living with the degenerative illness.
On Callum’s birthday in 2018 Ellen posted a sweet tribute to her husband on Instagram.
She wrote: ‘Happy Birthday to my favourite husband. The guy who let me take two kittens home instead of one. The guy who travels the world to support me and jumps a fence to kiss me. Think I will keep you forever.’
LAUREN HEMP
Ellie Butler, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers, recently took a trip to Amsterdam with her beau Lauren Hemp
Ellie and Lauren are often featured on each other’s Instagram accounts, with Ellie recently posting photos of her 20th birthday celebrations
Lauren Hemp, 21, and Ellie Butler, 20, often film funny dances together on TikTok
Last August Lauren went to The Oval in London to watch The Hundred
England’s Lauren Hemp celebrates with the trophy following victory over Germany in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 final at Wembley Stadium
England and Manchester City striker Lauren Hemp, 21, is dating fellow footballer Ellie Butler, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Ellie, who has been in the stands cheering on Lauren since the beginning of the tournament, posted photos of herself with her girlfriend at the end of key matches on Instagram.
Just before England’s semi-final match against Sweden kicked off Ellie, who is also a striker, posted a video of herself in the stands supporting her girlfriend once again as they sailed to victory with a stunning 4-0 win.
Lauren is a frequent feature on Ellie’s Instagram account, with the pair celebrating Ellie’s 20th birthday together at a fancy restaurant.
While it is not known exactly how long they have been dating the pair clearly have lots of fun together, often filming dances with each other on TikTok.
It’s not just football Lauren loves, as she has been known to watch the cricket from time to time too.
Last August she went to The Oval with a friend to watch The Hundred and posed for a snap which she posted on Instagram.
