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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Jonathan Liew in Basel

‘Proper England’: perfect unity that shows how Lionesses triumphed over the odds

England's players dance in delight after successfully defending their European title
Khiara Keating was one of the first substitutes to reach the ecstatic huddle of England shirts on the pitch after their final triumph. Photograph: Pedro Porru/SheKicks/SPP/Shutterstock

For some reason, as Chloe Kelly’s penalty hits the net and the England players explode across the pitch like streaks of white light, as Sarina Wiegman and Arjan Veurink embrace on the touchline, as England fans clutch each other in the stands, the eye is drawn to Khiara Keating of Manchester City.

Keating has not played a minute for England at this tournament. In fact, she has never played a minute for England at all. In fact, there was not the remotest possibility that she would play a minute for England at this tournament, and she knew this all along. Her entire Euros has consisted of training, travel and watching football from a hard bench. And yet at the moment of victory, nobody celebrates harder than England’s third goalkeeper.

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