Post-Euros 2025: What the Tournament Taught Us
By Sasha Kelly-Haynes – Director of Sport at Bancroft’s Prep, former Premier League player and talent reporter on the England Women’s Pathway
For the first time in history, an England team has won a major tournament on foreign soil - and the Lionesses have become the first senior English side to successfully defend a European title.
It is remarkable to think that professional contracts in women’s football were only introduced in 2009 and the first fully professional league was not established until 2018. This triumph is about more than silverware – it is a story of resilience, growth, and belief.
Lucy Bronze disclosing after the tournament that unbeknown to her, she played through a broken leg, epitomises a team that refuses to be beaten.
Hannah Hampton, once told her visual impairment meant football was not in her future, saved two penalties to win the final.
And 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang, fresh off a season-long loan at Brighton, was named Young Player of the Tournament, proving that age is just a number when you have the talent and fight to match the best. These women have not just made history, they have inspired a nation.
The 2025 UEFA Women’s European Championship was more than a tournament – it was a cultural milestone.
As a former Premier League player, now Director of Sport at Bancroft’s Prep School and talent reporter on the England Women’s Pathway, I observed the tournament through multiple lenses: educator, scout, and lifelong advocate.
What I witnessed was both a celebration of progress and a reminder of the work still to come.
From Zurich to Lucerne, fans filled stadiums in record numbers. In the UK, ITV’s coverage reached its highest viewing figures of the year.
The Swiss fell in love with their underdog team, which battled courageously through to the quarter-finals. Sweden sparkled and then self-combusted in an unbearably tense penalty shootout against England. 4000 fans dressed in red and green accompanied Wales’s women to their first ever major tournament.
Only four years ago, Wales played a World Cup qualifier in Slovenia in front of a handful of spectators. But this summer was not just about football. It was about visibility, voice, and ownership. Players spoke out on equality, captains led with conviction, and teams unified behind causes far beyond the touchline.
The women’s game is no longer asking for space – it is claiming it. In schools like Bancroft’s, the impact is undeniable.
Girls now lead playground kickabouts, try to replicate the Russo back heel, and ask for coaching tips with confidence. They no longer see football as something they are “allowed” to join – they know it is theirs too.
Just as encouraging is the shift in who is watching.
I witnessed first-hand at WSL and JPL matches this season, young boys and men proudly wearing the names of women footballers on their backs.
I was particularly taken aback by a conversation that I overheard at the West Ham Women vs. Manchester United Women WSL match this season where two ‘die hard’ male Hammers were raving about the then recent announcement that Everton Women will play home games at Goodison Park from 2025-26.
As I prepare to welcome my first child in September, I look forward to taking him to games where women’s football is the norm, not the novelty. This is a symbolic shift.
When I played in the top tier, we ran laps around the men’s training facilities just to earn a pitch slot after the boys.
We wore oversized men’s kits and worked with limited resources. Today’s players benefit from bespoke kit designs, specialist support staff, and dedicated facilities – a transformation, though one still in progress.
This October, the FA launched its 2024-28 Women’s and Girls’ Football Strategy, built around four pillars:
- Protect the uniqueness of the women’s game
- Win a major tournament
- Build high-quality competitions
- Deliver equal opportunities for women and girls
In my roles, I am proud to contribute to each. In terms of winning a major tournament, developing talent remains critical. Last year, I was one of 72 talent reporters nationwide.
Lioness Michelle Agyemang’s rise is a powerful example of the pathway in action.
Her swift transition from youth to senior level shows the system working: preparing players of any age or stage to make an impact. She is proof of what is possible when development and opportunity align.
This year, my role has become more specialised, focusing on identifying future number 9s at U15-U16 level. The pathway is becoming sharper, more streamlined, and more targeted, all of which will continue to contribute to effective scouting and development of players.
In terms of delivering equal opportunities for women and girls, we have made progress.
Today, 77% of schools offer girls equal access to football in PE – that is 2.5 million girls. I am proud to have introduced football to Bancroft’s Prep School and it now becomes a main sport for the girls in the upcoming academic year where every single girl will experience skill-based lessons as part of their curriculum as well as a number of fixtures against other schools.
Unfortunately, the figures are starker for girls as they get older and they remain under-engaged.
I personally think that this is linked to the fact that only 54% of secondary schools offer the same provision. This must be a focus moving forward.
Representation is powerful and still urgently needed, particularly in coaching. I am proud to be part of the Game Changers community, an initiative committed to increasing the number of female coaches, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.
For girls to truly believe they belong in football, they need to see women leading from the sidelines as well as playing on the pitch.
For those females that do aspire to coach at the elite level, the disparities in pay remain stark. Reports suggest Sarina Wiegman earns around £400,000 a year, plus performance-related bonuses – a fraction of the £5 million reportedly paid to Thomas Tuchel in his new role as England men’s manager.
These figures highlight an uncomfortable truth: the gender pay gap is alive and well, even at the top of the game.
This imbalance raises important questions about how we value women in leadership roles, and what more must be done to motivate and support female coaches to reach the highest levels.
The imbalance is evident on the pitch too. Leah Williamson, captain of the England Lionesses, reportedly earns £200,000 annually – an amount that England men’s captain Harry Kane is said to make in just one week.
This glaring contrast highlights the persistent gender pay gap in football and reinforces the need for meaningful, long-term change across the sport.
Looking back on my own journey – from borrowed kits and shared pitches to sold-out stadiums and prime time TV, it is clear we have come far. But progress must not breed complacency.
Sustained investment, structural support, and equal visibility are still needed at every level of the game. The real legacy will be built in what happens next – in schools, communities, and training grounds across the country. Let’s ensure the next generation does not just watch greatness, let’s equip them to become it.
England’s rise to the top of the women’s game is no stroke of luck.
Their breakthrough victory in 2022 was the product of years of growing commitment – where investment finally matched ambition. In earlier years, such as the 2015 World Cup, the squad punched above its weight, reaching the semi-finals despite limited resources.
Momentum began to build through Euro 2017 and the 2019 World Cup, but it was the 2022 home Euros that marked a turning point.
With unprecedented backing, from staffing to infrastructure, the team was set up to succeed – and they did. Their place in three consecutive finals is not a fluke; it is the outcome of a system that has learned what it takes to compete, and win, at the highest level.
Only one team could lift the trophy at this tournament, but it is fair to say that women’s football was the true winner this summer, capturing hearts, shifting perceptions, and gaining momentum.
I for one, am excited to see the game continue to build on this progress.
