Chloe Kelly: From Super-Sub to English Football Icon
Last year was a dramatic one for Chloe Kelly. She began it with a fight to get fit for Euro 2022; she finished it as an English football icon. Kelly was a substitute for all six of England’s matches at the Euros, having only just fully recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in 2021. But it was the Manchester City forward who came on to score the most significant goal of the tournament, as her extra-time winner gave the Lionesses a 2-1 victory over Germany in the final, for their first major trophy. She followed it with a memorable celebration, revealing a sports bra by taking her shirt off and swinging it round her head in delight – and earning praise for empowering women. Having followed up with five goals and nine assists in 22 Women’s Super League games for Manchester City in 2022-23, Kelly now has her eye on the Women’s World Cup. She is heading to Australia for the tournament, which kicks off on 20 July, hoping to step up from “super-sub” to a regular starter.
Kelly’s Rise to the Top
Last year I was in a completely different place to where I am this year. I was coming into the Euros having not had a lot of football,” said Kelly. “My confidence was probably high because I was just buzzing to be there. This year, I’ve had a whole season of football and was able to grow as it went on. That was really important to me.” From that crowning moment at Euro 2022, to scoring the winning penalty in front of 83,000 fans at Wembley to win the first Women’s Finalissima against Brazil, Kelly’s story has been extraordinary.
Growing Up in Ealing
Kelly, 25, was the youngest of seven siblings and grew up in Ealing, west London, spending her days playing in cages – enclosed park areas designed for sports – in her estate. Having begun her career at Arsenal, she moved north to Everton, initially on loan, in 2016, when she was 18. By the time Willie Kirk arrived at the club as manager in 2018, Kelly had already impressed but was known for her feisty character and a relentless competitive streak.
“She was really young and raw. I had heard some stuff about her attitude and things like that but I never, ever had that version of her,” Kirk told BBC Sport. “I gave her a bit of freedom and told her to go and play and I think she responded to that. She was fiery at times but I never wanted to take that out of her as it’s made her the player she is today. “She trained exactly the way she played. She wanted the ball all the time and hated giving it away. She had bags of energy so it was exciting to try and get her in the team.”
Maturing Through Injury
A major setback came with an ACL injury that forced her to miss the Olympic Games in 2021. She says it caused her to grow up a lot. “I’ve stayed true to myself in terms of my personality. Maybe I was a little bit cheeky when I was younger. I remember [ex-Everton manager] Andy Spence getting at me sometimes,” she said. “I feel like I’m just me, though. That maturity is when you grow older and you realise you can use people to help you improve and you can ask questions. I matured the most when I was injured. Everything gets taken away so quickly so now I think ‘why would you complain about such little things?’ You appreciate things so much more.”
Kelly’s Breakthrough at Everton
Kelly’s performances at Everton earned her an England debut in November 2018, and then a 2020 move to Manchester City where she has since won the FA Cup and League Cup under manager Gareth Taylor, as well as becoming an England regular. “Everybody knew there was something there. It was about how to unlock it,” said Kirk. “Sometimes she would go on a dribble straight from kick-off and win us a free-kick about four seconds into the match. We utilised little elements of her game like that.” During their time together at Everton, Kirk spoke with Kelly about how she could “become one of the best wingers in the world” and he believes she is now starting to approach that level.
Adapting Her Game at Manchester City
“She’s become a lot more disciplined. She takes fewer touches of the ball and her first thought isn’t always to shoot – it’s ‘where are my team-mates?’,” he added. “She’s never come across as a player that is affected by pressure. I think that goes back to her upbringing – being a little girl in the courts with her big brothers. She just gets on the ball and plays and I think that’s how she approaches the big games. She doesn’t build them up in her head.”
Kelly’s Position in the England Squad
Kelly has significantly adapted her game at Manchester City, according to former England midfielder Izzy Christiansen. “Since moving to City, she has retained that ability and instinct, but really refined her game with small details,” said Christiansen. “[She’s improved] her ball retention and decision-making in wide areas – when to keep the width and when to come inside – all of those elements which are tailored towards fundamentally getting a shot on goal or delivering a cross. Off the ball, I’ve seen her improve massively and also in her rapport with people around her.”
Kelly’s position in the England squad feels more prominent than it was last year, in part because of her success but also through the absence of injured Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner Beth Mead. Competition for places remains – Chelsea’s Lauren James enjoyed a breakout year, while City team-mate Lauren Hemp is a regular starter – but Kelly’s game time is likely to increase at this World Cup.
“She’s in a strong position,” said Christiansen. “There will be a lot more rotation than there was at the Euros. Chloe might have to accept rotation, but she just needs to keep doing what she’s doing. It’s about staying hungry for those moments and accepting your role. England have the luxury of squad depth. The way Chloe has played all season shows me she is in the right mindset.”
Conclusion
Chloe Kelly has come a long way since she began her career at Arsenal in 2016. From growing up in Ealing playing football in cages with her big brothers, to becoming an English football icon after scoring the winning goal at Euro 2022, Kelly has shown immense resilience and determination throughout her career. Despite suffering an ACL injury that forced her to miss out on the Olympic Games in 2021, Kelly has come back stronger than ever before and is now looking ahead to the Women’s World Cup with hopes of becoming a regular starter for England. With her fiery competitive streak, bags of energy and improved ball retention and decision-making skills, Kelly is certainly one to watch out for at this year’s tournament!