When Chloe Kelly’s 2022 began, the idea that a photo of herself would capture one of the defining moments of women’s football history in England, let alone of the year, was far from her mind. Kelly was battling back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury that ended her Olympic dreams. She would make her return to the pitch in April, 11 months on from her injury, and faced a race against time to get up to speed for the Euros in July.
“It’s crazy,” the 24-year-old Manchester City forward says of the tournament. “Sometimes I look at the images and I’m like: ‘Wow, that actually happened.’ It’s an amazing memory and one that will stick with me for ever, and what it can do for the sport is just huge.”
