Lioness Chloe Kelly has shared the inspiration behind her winning goal celebration at the Euro 2022.
The 24-year-old’s historic goal secured England a stunning 2-1 win against Germany and she celebrated the moment by removing her jersey and running around the pitch.
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While it did land her with a yellow card, Kelly’s heartfelt celebration meant an awful lot to the 87,000 spectators watching at Wembley Stadium and the 17.6 million fans watching from home.
It turns out the viral moment, which marked only the second time the footballer had scored for her country, was an ode to Bobby Zamora who once played for Chloe’s childhood favourite team – Queens Park Rangers.
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Kelly was a spectator at Wembley in 2014 when Zamora’s dramatic late strike against Derby County led to his team returning to the Premier League.
After Chloe secured England’s victory in extra time, her tribute was totally relevant.
Kelly told talkSPORT: "I said to my family, the one moment that I’ve been to Wembley and it’s been brilliant – it’s the Bobby Zamora moment with QPR.
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“I said to my family this morning, imagine we get a Bobby Zamora moment and it’s me… and now it’s happened! Bloody hell! Unbelievable! This is what dreams are made of!"
The sports star also gave credit to her team for their hard work and ‘every minute’ during the match.
She added: “It’s about every minute in this tournament, the hard work the girls have put in in the pre-camps, every bit of work everyone in the background has done to get us here today, it doesn’t go unnoticed.”
Kelly’s celebration has received praise across social media from women as young women and girls have been inspired by the team’s success.
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For many women watching, Kelly’s shirtless celebration was particularly poignant for showing off the skill and power of her body in a moment of happiness, without being sexualised.
One commentator shared: “This image of a woman shirtless in a sports bra - hugely significant. This is a woman’s body - not for sex or show - just for the sheer joy of what she can do and the power and skill she has. Wonderful."
Her tweet has received over 140,000 likes on Twitter and 2,400 replies, showing the importance of the celebration for fans.
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Another fan of the Lionesses is the Queen, who shared her 'warmest congratulations' after the ladies' win in a statement.
The Monarch said: "My warmest congratulations, and those of my family, go to you all on winning the European Women’s Football Championships.
"However, your success goes far beyond the trophy you have so deservedly earned. You have all set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations.
"It is my hope that you will be as proud of the impact you have had on your sport as you are of the result today."
It doesn’t get much better than that!
Featured Image Credit: SPP Sport Press Photo. / Alamy Stock Photo/Sportimage / Alamy Stock PhotoTopics: News
