How 'fiery' Chloe Kelly became an England star during the Women's World Cup

Chloe Kelly had a dramatic year last year. She started it off with a battle to be in shape for Euro 2022 and ended it as an English football legend.

 

Kelly, who had only recently fully recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in 2021, served as a substitute for all six of England's games during the Euros.

But the most important goal of the competition was scored by the Manchester City forward, whose extra-time winner gave the Lionesses a 2-1 victory over Germany in the championship game and their first major trophy.

In a memorable celebration that followed, she won praise for empowering women by revealing a sports bra by removing her shirt and swinging it around her head.

Kelly now has her sights set on the Women's World Cup after following up with five goals and nine assists in 22 Women's Super League games for Manchester City in 2022–23.

She will travel to Australia for the competition in the hopes of moving up from "super-sub" to a regular starter. The tournament begins on July 20.

"I was in a completely different place last year than I am right now. I hadn't played much football prior to the Euros, said Kelly.

"I was probably more confident because I was so excited to be there. I played football all season long this year, which allowed me to develop. That was very significant to me.

Kelly's story has been extraordinary, from that defining moment at Euro 2022 to scoring the deciding penalty in front of 83,000 spectators at Wembley to defeat Brazil in the first Women's Finalissima. BBC Sport examines her ascent to the top.

'Maybe I was a little bit cheeky'

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.

"Maybe people forgot she was a young kid who moved up from London. Any fiery moments in training I almost encouraged because it wasn't causing a problem."

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."

'She just gets on the ball and plays'

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.

"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."

'She's improved her rapport with team-mates'

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."