Chloe Kelly is the youngest of seven children, so she learnt competitiveness quickly. It was survival instinct. As the smallest, she had to fight harder than her siblings to win, and her scrappy tenacity has served her well on the football pitch.
The England and Manchester City star took on her five brothers – as her sister had little interest in football – and shone with a ball at her feet. It was her happy place. She learnt to play in the cages in Ealing, West London, and enjoyed shocking people with her talents as the only girl on boys’ teams.
It has led her to where she is today, most famously scoring the winning goal for England in the UEFA Women’s Euro in 2022 as a substitute in extra time against Germany. That tournament changed the women’s game, and a generation of girls will grow up inspired by Kelly and her teammates. ‘We felt like absolute stars’: Behind the 1971 women’s football World Cup the world forgot Football fans are fed up of racism, sexism and homophobia.
Here’s how to kick it out for good As she speaks to the Big Issue, the 26-year-old’s unwavering positivity shines through, but she has faced challenges too. She admits “cried everyday” when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), but Kelly wants other young women to know that an injury does not have to be the end of their career. She’s had a difficult season at Manchester City , benched more than she would like, but she remains hopeful for her future in the game and dreams.
