She's got the trophy in sight! Meet the Lionesses' visually impaired goalkeeper who dreams of Euros glory
- Hannah was born with a condition where her eyes point in different directions
- She was diagnosed with a sight condition that left her struggling to pour a drink
- Miss Hampton was called up to the England Women’s senior squad aged 19
- She is now back-up goalkeeper for the squad competing at the Women’s Euros
To become a goalkeeper you need excellent vision and lightning-fast reflexes to keep a clean sheet.
So when Hannah Hampton was diagnosed with a sight condition that left her struggling to pour a drink, it was thought her dream of playing sports was over.
But the 21-year-old, born with strabismus, a condition where the eyes point in different directions, has defied all odds to play professional football and is now competing with England at the Women’s Euros this summer.
She had a squint which left her severely cross-eyed, and she underwent three operations at Birmingham Children’s Hospital by the age of three.
When Hannah Hampton was diagnosed with a sight condition that left her struggling to pour a drink, it was thought her dream of playing sports was over
However, none of them worked and aged 12, she was diagnosed with depth perception issues which mean she struggles to judge how far away objects are.
Doctors told her she would not be able to compete in sports but she says this made her even more determined.
‘A lot of the time the ball smacked me in the face,’ she told The i. ‘I’ve had many nosebleeds. A lot of broken fingers.’
But despite the challenges, Miss Hampton was called up to the England Women’s senior squad in March 2020, aged 19, and is now the back-up goalkeeper for the squad competing at the Women’s Euros on home soil.
Their next game is against Norway at the Amex stadium in Brighton tonight.
Doctors told her she would not be able to compete in sports but she says this made her even more determined
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