Emma Hayes anticipated Hannah Hampton's impressive performances for England at Euro 2025. She recognised Hampton's talent long before bringing her to Chelsea. Hampton was a standout as England retained
their European Championship title in Switzerland in July. Her exceptional performance earned her the women's Yashin Trophy at the Ballon d'Or ceremony this year.
Hampton's contributions were vital in Chelsea's domestic treble-winning season. The team secured their sixth consecutive Women's Super League title, along with the FA Cup and League Cup, under Sonia Bompastor's leadership. Hampton played every minute of the 2024-25 WSL season, conceding only 13 goals and achieving 13 clean sheets. She shared the Golden Glove with Manchester United's Phallon Tullis-Joyce.
Emma Hayes signed Hampton at the beginning of what would be her final season at Chelsea. As the United States head coach, she recognised Hampton as a special player. "To be honest with you, I saw them qualities when she played for Birmingham [City]," Hayes told Stats Perform. "I remember a game we won quite comfortably at Kingsmeadow, and it was her I couldn't stop looking at. "
Hampton faced 62 shots on target during the WSL season and prevented 2.1 goals according to Opta's expected goals on target (xGoT) model. Her penalty-saving prowess was evident at Euro 2025, where she conceded just 27% of penalties faced (3/11). This is the lowest rate recorded since 2011 in any single edition of either the Women's World Cup or Euros, given a minimum of eight penalties faced.
Hayes continued to follow Hampton’s career after she moved to Aston Villa. Despite having top-class goalkeepers at Chelsea, Hayes believed Hampton was indispensable for the club’s future success. "I kept thinking, 'Oh my goodness, she's got all the qualities to be the very best,'" Hayes remarked about her early impressions of Hampton.
"When she went to [Aston] Villa, I kept tracking that career and knew that even though we had top-class quality goalkeepers at Chelsea, you just couldn't pass up on Hannah Hampton," Hayes added. She firmly believed that Hampton represented not only Chelsea’s future but also England’s.
Hampton’s remarkable achievements have validated Hayes’ faith in her abilities. Her journey from Birmingham City to becoming a key player for both Chelsea and England highlights her growth and potential in women's football.
