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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Courtney Pochin

Hero lionesses who have been through it all - tragic loss, pneumonia and money woes

England's Lionesses secured a place in the Euro 2022 final after an unforgettable competition, which has seen manager Sarina Wiegman's team impress time after time on the pitch.

They took on Germany at Wembley on Sunday night and were victorious, beating the other side 2-1, with incredible goals from Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly.

The win is the first major tournament success in Lioness history and has put the players well and truly in the spotlight.

The squad is made up of 23 fantastic women in total, but it's Leah Williamson, Mary Earps, Lucy Bronze, Rachel Daly, Kiera Walsh, Millie Bright, Beth Mead, Ellen White, Georgia Stanway, Lauren Hemp and Fran Kirby who started each Euro game.

While a number of brilliant subs have also come off the bench to help lead the Lionesses to victory.

Each has a brilliant football career and has been through so much to get to where they are today - including losing parents and overcoming health issues that threatened to end their careers.

Here's a closer look at the lives of our Euro 2022 champions...

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Mary Earps (Goalkeeper)

Mary Earps is the team's goalkeeper (Liam Asman/Womens Football Magazine/SPP/REX/Shutterstock)

Earps has played for Manchester United for the last three years after moving from German side Wolfsburg.

The 29-year-old, from Nottingham, first fell in love with the beautiful game aged eight, when she joined her dad and younger brother in the garden for a kick-about.

Growing up, she recalls how girls in her area didn't play football in the park so she would often go with her brother.

However she kept at it and when she was 10, a friend's dad set up a grassroots team called West Bridgford Colts and she played for them, until the age of 14 when she started with Leicester City.

After graduating from Loughborough University with a degree in Information Management and Business Studies, she decided to throw herself back into football to see if she could make it professionally.

She's since played for five different clubs in the Women's Super League and was named as part of the Euro 2017 training camp and 2019 World Cup squad - but did not play.

This was her first time playing at a major tournament, after receiving an email out of the blue last year from the FA informing her that she would be called up to Sarina Wiegman's debut training camp.

Lucy Bronze (Defender)

Lucy has won a number of titles throughout her career (UEFA via Getty Images)

As well as being a Lioness, Lucia Roberta Tough Bronze is also a defender for Barcelona and has previously played for Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton.

The Northumberland-born 30-year-old has won three UEFA Women's Champions League titles while with Olympique Lyonnais and three FA Women's Super League titles with Liverpool and Manchester City.

She's also won a number of awards during her career, being named BBC Women's Footballer of the Year in 2018 and 2020, UEFA Women's Player of the Year in 2019 and The Best FIFA Women's Player in 2020.

Bronze, who plays in right-back for England, was brought up bilingual by her Portuguese father Joaquim, and English mother, Diane who she credits as being her 'number one fan' since day one.

As well as being close with her parents, she has a strong relationship with her older brother Jorge and loves spending time with her nephew, Alfred, and niece, Alzira.

Bronze started playing football as a child, getting her first pair of football boots aged 10 and in her last year of primary school, she played as the only girl in a team of boys.

She's suffered numerous knee injuries throughout her career, sustaining four by the time she was just 18.

These kept her sidelined for two years and required surgery. Bronze had another operation last August to remove a bone that was embedded in the tendon behind her knee.

She recently opened up about how this has resulted in lingering pain and she's been playing through it in the Euro finals.

"I’ve just got to play through it," she told The Guardian. "There are plenty of players who are having to play through pain in their career and I’m now one of them."

Ahead of the Euro 2022 final match, the Dominos store in Headingley where she used to work while studying at Leeds Metropolitan University, rebranded to be called Lucy's and gave away free pizzas to anyone with the same name.

Rachel Daly (Defender)

Rachel has played for Leeds, as her dad was a big supporter (UEFA via Getty Images)

The former Leeds United player has spent a lot of her career over in the US, moving over at age 19 to play in the National Women's Soccer League.

The 30-year-old, who was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, has been with Houston Dash since 2016, where she plays as a forward.

For England, she's often in the left-back position.

Daly made her first-team debut with England in 2016 and while she missed out on a spot in 2017, has been a regular feature since 2018, going on to take part in the 2019 World Cup.

Like many other Lionesses, she got into football playing with her local boys’ team, Killinghall Nomads in Harrogate.

Eventually, The Nomads formed a girls' team and she joined when she was 12, before being invited to the Leeds United centre of excellence.

Her father, Martyn, was a big supporter of her football talents and a massive Leeds fan.

Sadly he passed away last September.

Days later Daly played in a World Cup qualifying match for England against Luxembourg, she came off the bench in the match and scored a goal - which she dedicated to her father.

She's also dedicated a tattoo to him, getting the words "at least until the world stops going round" inked on her body.

The lyrics are taken from the Leeds anthem, Marching On Together, which was played at her dad's funeral.

Kiera Walsh (Midfielder)

Kiera has been said to have 'the best football brain' (UEFA via Getty Images)

At just 25, Kiera has already represented England 39 times and captained the senior team for the first time when she was just 21.

The Manchester City player was born in Rochdale and grew up being such a big fan of the club that she even named her childhood pet goldfish after City footballers Nicolas Anelka and Shaun Goater.

She's previously been described by former City manager Nick Cushing as the "best in the world in that role by far" and he claimed she might have the "best football brain" of any player he's coached.

Football has been the main focus in her life, thanks to encouragement from her father and she spends hours watching football on television and studying the players' moves instead of focusing on other things girls her age were interested in.

Speaking to The Guardian she said: "I think that’s how I’m able to see the game the way I do.

"Some of the other England girls spend time doing their hair and makeup before breakfast but, once we’re into the training facility, I don’t care too much what I look like. I’m just there to play football."

Millie Bright (Defender)

Millie has overcome pneumonia, severe asthma and whooping cough (UEFA via Getty Images)

Now the vice-captain of the Lionesses, Bright spent her childhood in Sheffield going in and out of hospital.

At just eight days old, she found herself battling pneumonia and for the next decade she suffered with severe asthma and whooping cough.

Several times a week she would have attacks in the night and end up in hospital before she was finally given a steroid machine to help her at home.

As she got older she had to decide if she was going to let her asthma stop her from playing football, but thankfully, it didn't.

The 28-year-old, who also plays for Chelsea, is an FA Cup Champion and a Women's Super League title holder.

Off the pitch, she's a keen equestrian, previously having worked as a horse groom at her family's stable. She also worked as a fitness instructor while playing for her first club Doncaster Belles.

Beth Mead (Forward)

Beth and her mum worked hard to be able to afford to put her through football training (Getty Images)

Mead was born in Hinderwell in North Yorkshire and started her youth career at California Girls FC before going on to join Middlesbrough FC Centre of Excellence, followed by Sunderland.

Her mum worked two jobs at the time in order to be able to pay for petrol to ferry her back and forth to football training at Middlesbrough.

As Mead got older, she pitched in to help with the costs while starting out at Sunderland, working part-time washing dishes in a pub to earn money.

After success at Sunderland, she joined Arsenal in 2017 where she remains today.

The 27-year-old has represented England at every age level and is currently the top goal-scorer in this year's Women's Euros after scoring a hat-trick in their 8-0 victory over Norway and recently getting another goal against Northern Ireland.

Ex-England hero Kelly Smith described Mead as being "absolutely sensational".

Leah Williamson (Midfield/Defence)

Leah is the team's captain (UEFA via Getty Images)

Williamson is currently team captain and took over the armband from Steph Houghton earlier this summer - despite having only played 30 minutes of senior tournament football at that time.

The 25-year-old from Milton Keynes grew up attending men's Arsenal games with her grandmother and went on to sign for the girl's team herself at the age of nine.

She graduated from the Arsenal Academy in 2013 and continued her success and has since represented England in every age group from the under 15s up to the senior side.

Her role in the Euros campaign has made her an incredibly sought-after face for brand deals with big companies like Gucci.

It's reported she also struck deals with Pepsi and Nike earlier this year.

When she's not on the pitch, Leah is busy studying accountancy and is also said to enjoy playing Sudoku.

Ellen White (Forward)

Ellen is England's all-time top-scorer (UEFA via Getty Images)

White has held the record for being England Women's all-time top-scorer since November 2021 - and she even scored a goal in her debut match back in 2010.

The 33-year-old, who plays for Manchester City, has been named England Women's Player of the Year three times.

She was born in Aylesbury and started out in football at a training academy run by her dad, Jon, which was called Mini Dux.

White went on to play for Aylesbury Town before being scouted by Arsenal at the age of eight.

The striker has played in more than 100 England games to date and played at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, where she was the only member of Team GB to score.

Off the pitch, White is married to Callum Convery, who often cheers her on from the sidelines.

Georgia Stanway (Midfielder)

Georgia has proved her high school career advisors wrong (UEFA via Getty Images)

The 23-year-old was born in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria and grew up a Newcastle fan.

She's spoken openly about Alan Shearer being her football hero - as he meant so much to her nan.

Stanway has shared how her high school career advisors once told her she "wouldn't be a footballer" - but she's gone on to prove them wrong.

She started her career at Blackburn Rovers playing through the youth system and going on to reach the senior squad playing in the FA Women's Premier League.

Most recently she Stanway signed for the German club Bayern Munich after leaving Manchester City where she became the club's record goalscorer.

She shared an emotional statement on Twitter when she left the club, writing: "I joined Manchester City with the dream of becoming a professional footballer...I have made memories and friends for a lifetime, I'll be back as a fan if not a player."

Lauren Hemp (Forward)

Lauren is one of the younger players on the team (UEFA via Getty Images)

At just 21, Hemp from North Walsham is one of the younger players on the England team.

She kicked off her youth football career with North Walsham Youth FC and the Norwich City Girls Centre of Excellence where she played from 2008 until 2015, often having one-on-one coaching at 7:30am before school.

In 2016 she went on to join Bristol City, where she was named PFA's Women's Young Player of the Year before signing with Manchester City in 2018.

Her older sister Amy also started out at Norwich City, but unfortunately, her career was cut short by knee injuries and ligament damage. This is said to have motivated Hemp within her own career to make the most of it.

Fran Kirby (Midfielder)

Fran has battled health issues - but refuses to let it stop her playing (UEFA via Getty Images)

Kirby has been through a lot to get to where she is today, dealing with the loss of her mother, Denise, who died of a sudden brain haemorrhage when she was just 14 and battling her own health issues after being diagnosed with pericarditis - a condition affecting the fluid-filled sac around the heart.

Her diagnosis in February 2020 came with the risk that she may never play football again.

She continued to play until April 2020 when she announced she was stepping back from matches at Chelsea in order to put her health first.

After some time away, Kirby has returned for Euro 2022, starting in every game so far, using an oxygen tent when needed to prepare to play.

Born and raised in Reading, the 29-year-old got into football after watching her brother Jamie play.

She's said to have started playing any chance she could, be it at home or at school and her mum was her biggest fan, writing in one of her birthday cards that she would play in a World Cup one day.

Kirby joined Reading's academy aged seven and made her senior debut aged 16.

She's now Chelsea's all-time leading goal scorer.

Alessia Russo (Forward)

Alessia has scored four goals as a sub (UEFA via Getty Images)

Russo has come off the bench in several matches so far and scored four goals, with many fans calling for her to start in the line-up for Sunday's final.

The 23-year-old from Maidstone started her career at Bearstead Girls Under 10s and Charlton Athletic's centre of excellence before joining and captaining Chelsea's development squad.

She made one senior appearance for Chelsea before joining Brighton & Hove Albion in 2017.

The next year saw Russo move over to the US to play college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels. She remained in the States until August 2020 when she decided not to finish her final year of college due to the uncertainty of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

She returned to the UK and has since signed with Manchester United.

Ella Toone (Forward)

Ella Toone has come off the bench to help England reach the final (UEFA via Getty Images)

Toone from Tyldesley played a big part in securing England's place in the finals after coming on as a substitute in the 79th minute against Sweden on Tuesday, July 26.

She also notably came on and scored an equaliser against Spain which helped her team into the semi-final.

The 22-year-old has previously shared how her love of football started with her dad when she was very young, as he would take her down to football clubs.

She played as the only girl in a team of boys at Fred Longworth High School and has admitted she still goes back to the school in her own time and plays football with some of the teachers.

She grew up supporting Manchester United and now plays for them. She's currently their top scorer.

Chloe Kelly

Chloe's career is only going to keep getting better (UEFA via Getty Images)

Kelly was born and raised in Ealing, London and is the youngest of seven siblings.

The 24-year-old began playing football with her five older brothers when she was just five years old and went on to join Arsenal's Centre of Excellence.

She was so dedicated to her training with Arsenal as a teenager, she would take a two-hour round trip on the train to get there.

Kelly is now a striker for Manchester City but has struggled with knee injuries.

She was sidelined last year with a torn ACL after a match against Birmingham and had to have surgery.

However, she clearly wasn't forgotten during her time out from football as she was brought into the England team by manager Sarina Wiegman.

She's made a number of substitute appearances so far during the Euros, alongside Alessia Russo and Ella Toone and the three have proved dangerous for the opposing teams.

Jill Scott is a Lioness legend (Alex Burstow)

Jill Scott (Midfielder)

Scott is known as a Lioness legend as she's been with the England team for 16 years, making her debut in 2006.

The 35-year-old has been with Manchester City for over eight years, recently being on loan to Everton and Aston Villa.

In May it was announced that she would be leaving City and she's currently a free agent.

Off the pitch, Scott who grew up in Sunderland and as a youngster was a keen long-distance runner.

She's also a big lover of coffee and has even opened her own coffee shop in Manchester with her long-term partner Shelley Unitt, called Boxx2Boxx coffee.

The England v Germany Euro 2022 Final will be live for UK viewers on BBC One from 5pm, with build-up from 4pm.

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