Chloe Kelly: England’s match winner who almost didn’t play

Chloe Kelly was the toast of England on Sunday night after scoring the Lionesses’ winning goal at Wembley 10 minutes from the end of extra-time in the 2-1 win over Germany, but it was touch and go whether she would even be selected for the Women’s Euros.

The Manchester City winger suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in May last year that not only ruled her out of the 2021 Olympic Games in Japan, but caused her to struggle mentally during the ensuing season, in which she returned for her club only late on.

Kelly has impressed throughout this tournament as an impact sub, but never has she made such a huge impression as she did in the final of this tournament in front of a record 87,192 crowd as she stabbed the ball over the line at the second attempt after Lauren Hemp’s corner deflected towards her off Lucy Bronze.

The 24-year-old grew up a No 92 bus ride away from the national stadium and used to come down to FA Cup finals to buy a programme and get a buzz off the “vibe around Wembley”. Last night she gave English women’s football its biggest ever jab in the arm as the lid came off Wembley after she wheeled away, taking her England shirt off in celebration after her close-range finish, her first goal of the tournament.

“Oh my God, look at them – it’s amazing,” she said after the match. “Thank you to every single person who came out to support us. This is unreal. This is what dreams are made of. As a young girl watching women’s football and now this, wow, it’s unbelievable.

“Thank you to everyone who played part in my rehab, because I always believed I could be here, but to score the winner … wow. These girls are special, the manager is special and what a special group of staff. This is amazing. All my family are