Initially a striker, Hampton was part of the Villareal academy and only made the switch to being a goalkeeper aged 12 at Stoke City after her family had returned to England.
Fast forward to 2025, and she is England’s number one at the European Championships.
However, her position as the Lionesses’ first-choice shot-stopper was not entirely definitive until six weeks ago, with Mary Earps still challenging for the jersey right up until her shock retirement from international duty.
The absence of Earps – the Golden Glove winner at the 2023 World Cup – left questions over Hampton’s ability to cope with the pressure of a major tournament.
The Chelsea keeper’s performance against the Netherlands has now put some of those doubts to rest.
While she had very few saves to make, she impressed with the ball at her feet – helping England get their title defence back on track after their 2-1 defeat by France in their opening game.
“The first task is to prevent goals but if you have a goalkeeper who plays well [with her feet], that’s an added value,” said England boss Sarina Wiegman after the win over her home country.
“She’s a brilliant passer. She’s really good with her feet, we know that, right and left. And today she got it right in the right moments.”
