As the Lionesses gear up towards their next big challenge, the 2023 Women's World Cup final, all eyes are on the squad. And that includes star forward Chloe Kelly, who came off the substitutes bench in the 2022 Euros final and scored England's winning goal. Safe to say she's set the benchmark pretty high already!
The England women's team have had an extraordinary tournament so far, beating Haiti, Denmark, China, Nigeria and Colombia, before winning against the hosts Australia in a heated semi-final. Their success means this is the first time England has been in a football World Cup final since 1966, and this historic event is taking place on Sunday 20 August at 11am. So who makes up the legendary Lioness team? Here's everything there is to know about top scorer Chloe Kelly.
Who is Chloe Kelly?
Chloe Maggie Kelly is the Lionesses number 18 and star forward. The youngest of seven children, she's originally from West London, where she learnt how to play football with her brothers in Windmill Park. There is now a plaque with her name on the football cage in the park where she once played!
How old is Chloe Kelly?
Born on 15 January 1998, Chloe is 25 years old. She can be found on Instagram at @chloekelly where she has 631k followers and posts a mixture of professional and personal pictures, including holiday snaps and football victories.
One of her pinned posts is a video montage of the moment she scored the winning goal against Germany last summer, when she was only 24 years old. She wrote: 'What a special summer we had, an incredible group of girls, amazing staff and unbelievable fans. Memories that will last for a lifetime.'
Speaking to Grazia after England's win, she thanked her family for all they've done to get here where she is today. 'They’re so proud of me, and I’m so grateful for the sacrifices my parents made. They always believed in me. My parents didn’t drive, and it was hard for them to get me here, there, and everywhere. So, they shared the victory with me when they were in the stands at Wembley,' she said.
What teams does Chloe Kelly play for?
Chloe Kelly used to play for Arsenal and Everton, but she now plays as a forward for Manchester City. She started playing for Arsenal when she was only 18 years old, and in 2020 she signed a two year contract with the Manchester club.
As for the footballer's salary, there are several reports online offering different figures. One source says she earns $300,000 (£228,915) and others say her net worth is between £1-5m. And while this is a lot of money whichever way you look at it, male national footballers still earn significantly more – an average of £60,000 per week.
This isn't the first time sexism has played a role in the women's game either. When Chloe appeared on Good Morning Britain after England's win last year, Richard Madeley took it upon himself to call her Coco (the nickname he uses for his daughter Chloe). It made for a bizarre and patronising exchange... It's hard to imagine him calling Jordan Pickford JoJo isn't it?
Is Chloe Kelly still injured?
Last summer, Chloe pushed past the pain of her ACL injury to score the winning goal. Back in May 2021, she suffered a knee clash while playing against Birmingham. But so far, she's proved she's fighting fit for the World Cup! She even scored England's winning penalty against Nigeria.
Who is Chloe Kelly's partner?
Chloe Kelly and her boyfriend Scott have been dating for nearly four years. The footballer posts her boyfriend on her social media and he was there at the Euros final last summer to celebrate her win. Sharing a date night picture on social media, Chloe wrote: 'Much needed downtime with my <3 before a big summer ahead.'
While the couple mostly keep their relationship private, we have been treated to pictures of their adorable dog Otis.
What has Chloe Kelly said about the World Cup?
Speaking to Time Out, Chloe discussed how much her life has changed since winning the Euros and looking ahead to the 2023 World Cup. 'Now it’s about keeping our foot on the gas,' she said. 'It’s a great opportunity for everyone involved in women’s sport to push forward, but as soon as we take our foot off the gas it’s easy for everyone else to switch off.’
The England striker wants to keep getting more women and girls into football, and she also wants to win more medals. 'I’m really driven and I want to achieve great things. The feeling of one medal around your neck is amazing but it just makes you want more success.’