England’s Chloe Kelly: I was always going to take my shirt off and go crazy

Euro 2022 match-winner Chloe Kelly says she was always going to take off her shirt to celebrate Sunday’s decisive goal but was briefly worried VAR may ruin the moment.

The Manchester City attacker scored in the 110th minute at Wembley to earn England a 2-1 victory over Germany.

It gave the Lionesses a first European Championship trophy and ended the country’s 56-year wait for one of its national teams to triumph in a major competition.

After Kelly fired home from close range, she went to take her shirt off before hesitating as referee Kateryna Monzul communicated with her other officials but, once the goal was awarded, the 24-year-old whipped off her jersey in scenes reminiscent of Sergio Aguero’s celebrations in 2012 to create a lasting image.

“It’s the best yellow card I have ever received,” Kelly told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

“I was looking at the ref and thinking, ‘What is she calling here, is it a free-kick or a goal?’ And everything to do with VAR and things like that, you are thinking I don’t want to celebrate too much, I want to make sure.

“I was still holding my shirt then thinking. ‘Is this coming off or what?’ I didn’t want to take it off and they cancel the goal, so I was ready to take it off and go crazy.

In men's football they would be doing exactly the same so as a woman, why can't we? I think in that moment every England player and every England fan was in it- Chloe Kelly on her Wembley celebrations

“I think that moment, everything is a blur and you celebrate for what the moment is and not ‘Am I allowed to take my shirt off?’ Because as you know I am always taking my shirt off and going crazy!

“In men’s football they would be doing exactly the same so, as a woman, why can’t we? I think in that moment