Women's Football European Cup knockout round, England defeated Sweden 3-2 in the penalty shootout and advanced to the semi-finals. 24-year-old England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saved the ball twice with a nose injury, helping the team win the penalty shootout.
According to the Sun, Hampton suffered from natural strabismus and his eyes were unable to align. The player underwent three surgeries before the age of three, but none of them could solve the problem. At 11, Hampton was told during a physical examination that she also had deep perception impairments, which meant she had difficulties in judging distance and spatial relationships. The doctor told Hampton that she was not suitable for football, and it was impossible to be a professional player or even a goalkeeper.
But this did not stop Hampton from pursuing her dream. According to a previous interview, she had broken fingers and bleeding noses many times because she always put her hands in the wrong position when catching the ball. After solving the difficulties on the court, Hampton also faces many problems in his daily life.
In an interview with the podcast program Fozcast, Hampton told former England Nation Ben Foster: "When I was going to pour a glass of water, if I didn't hold the cup, I would pour the water outside. During training, the girls often joked with me, asking me to pour them tea and milk for them, and then I would spill the milk out and say to them, 'This is what you asked for, isn't it?'" Hampton admitted that she felt a little uncomfortable with the way she looked in the photos taken from a certain angle. She learned that there is a surgery to correct her eyes, although it won't change her vision, purely for the sake of beauty. It takes courage to talk about this topic honestly, especially when she is an English gate, which will attract more widespread attention. But as she said in an interview with the BBC four years ago, Hampton wanted to be a role model for others.
"I shouldn't have played football and wouldn't have been allowed to work in certain jobs. But I have always loved sports, and it's my dream. I always want to tell the younger generation that if you can't pursue your dreams, what's the point of your life? You have to follow your dreams. I've been trying to prove that others are wrong. I was told since I was a child that I couldn't play football. This is not a career I can pursue. The doctor even told my parents that I couldn't do it, but I'm here now."
Hampton transferred from Villa Women's Football Team to Chelsea in July 2023, signed until 2026, and helped the team achieve the season's triple-winning championship as the main goalkeeper in the 2024-25 season.