The Wembley pitch is now glitter-free but the Lionesses were still sparkling in Trafalgar Square in front of the thousands who gathered on Monday to celebrate with the Euro 2022 champions.
It took a full-squad effort to lift the trophy. Sarina Wiegman never altered her starting XI, but it was often players on her deep bench who provided England’s most dramatic moments, no more so than Chloe Kelly’s championship decider, while understated anchors carried the squad all the way to the Lionesses’ first major title.
Here, the PA news agency picks out England’s top five stars of the tournament. It was impossible for Mead to single-handedly carry all the trophies she collected on Sunday night.
By the time she boarded the bus back to Lionesses HQ, Mead had clinched the Golden Boot and could call herself both European champion and Player of the Tournament after finishing the competition with six goals and five assists – also the competition’s number-one provider – across England’s perfect run to the title.