Chloe Kelly: from QPR kid to Lionesses icon
Credit: SPP Sport Press Photo. /Alamy Live News
It wasn’t enough that she scored the goal that brought football home for England at Euro 2022; she went and did it all over again at Euro 2025, with another starring role.
The people have been loving Kelly’s sassy celebrations, cool-customer penalty kicks, and yes, that iconic hop-skip-welly-top-bins routine. But our Chloe wasn’t born a crowd-shushing shithouse baller — she became one.
Here’s everything you didn’t know you wanted to find out about England’s two-time tournament winner.
Where did Chloe Kelly come from?
Before Chloe Kelly, QPR’s biggest claim to fame in women’s football was being the team that lost a final to fictional side Hounslow Harriers in classic WoSo film Bend It Like Beckham.
That changed in August, when Kelly walked onto the pitch at QPR’s home ground Loftus Road to the sound of thousands of home fans singing “she’s one of our own” as West London laid proud claim to Euro 2025’s most iconic performer.
Massive for Kelly, the stuff of dreams for a girl who held a QPR season ticket as a kid — but the club can only take so much credit for her brilliance. Back in 2010, their women’s team couldn’t accommodate a player of her talent (Kelly said it was “like a Sunday League team” ), so she switched to Arsenal to continue her development.
After a season and a half on loan at Everton, Kelly moved to Merseyside permanently in January 2018, but it was a while before she really hit her stride. Her breakthrough 2019/20 season in the WSL saw her net nine league goals, with only three players outscoring her. Not long after, division giants Manchester City came knocking.
Kelly’s strong form continued at the Sky Blues before an ACL rupture stalled her progress. After returning from injury, she found some sparkle again at club level, but her relationship with Man City soured — more on that in a moment.
What is it about Chloe Kelly that people love so much?
Let’s be honest: everyone loves a goalscorer. Especially one who clearly loves scoring as much as Kelly does, thumping them home with a smile and putting on a show in her celebrations.
It’s the sass, too. Remember when she leaned casually against the corner flag after tucking home the rebound, moments after Italy’s keeper Laura Giuliani saved her initial spot-kick in the semi-final? Most people would have been panicking, but for the ever-cool Kelly, it was just another no-stress day in the office.
Chloe Kelly celebrates her goal against Italy at Euro 2025. Credit: PA Images / Nick Potts
She wears her heart on her sleeve. While she’s chilled in crunch moments, when she gets wound up, she’s not afraid to make a bit of a nuisance of herself—bothering opponents and managing somehow to stay mostly within the referees’ good books. The professional term might be shithouse.
To add to all this, she’s clearly a girl’s girl, and a hell of a patriot, too.
Three things about Chloe Kelly that have nothing to do with football
Kelly has five older brothers and one older sister. No wonder she’s not afraid of a scrap.
In her spare time, Kelly listens to AJ Tracey and has mentioned some unusual favourite snacks, barbecued bananas with Nutella, anyone?
She shares her life with three dogs called Otis, Rolo and Brody.
What have people said about Chloe Kelly?
“She just doesn’t really care what people think.” — Esme Morgan, England and Man City defender.
“Chloe was always destined for greatness. Everything she did was about her football.” — Ms Curley, Chloe’s high school PE teacher.
“If I’m on a night out with the Lionesses, Chloe Kelly is the one to watch. She’s never drunk a drop of alcohol, but she’ll always be the last one standing.” — Arsenal and England teammate Leah Williamson.
Kelly in action for Arsenal against London CIty Lionesses. Credit: Action Plus Sports/Alamy Live News
Just why was Chloe Kelly’s Euro 2025 so epic?
“Thank you to everyone that wrote me off. I’m grateful,” Kelly said, medal round her neck after scoring the winning goal in the Euro 2025 final.
Seven months earlier, Kelly posted on social media: “While I can't control someone’s negative behaviour towards me, I can control how long I am prepared to tolerate it.” At the time, Euro 2025 was fast approaching, and her opportunities at Manchester City were limited, putting her position in Sarina Wiegman’s squad in jeopardy.
Blasting your employers on social media is not a typical career move, but Kelly’s statement forced matters, and she signed for Arsenal on a loan deal the very next day.
Down in London, Kelly got her chances, won the Champions League, and caught Wiegman’s eye in the process. The rest is history.
Celebrating England’s Euro 2025 win. Credit: Sipa US/Alamy Live News
Did you know?
You probably saw the iconic shin pads, which cameras caught Chloe Kelly strapping onto her legs before she came on to change the game in England’s quarter-final against Sweden, the ones which depicted her husband and her sharing a smooch on their wedding day.
But I bet you didn’t know that the pair met at Everton Football Club, where Chloe was an up-and-coming striker, and Scott was the groundsman preparing the turf for his future wife and her teammates.
In true trailblazing fashion, it was Chloe who held the door open for Scott in their first memorable meeting, and the two-time European champion had to dig through a host of message requests to find the DM slide that Scott subsequently braved.
What is Chloe Kelly’s anthem for the 2025/26 season?
It has to be Thank You by Jamelia.
There’s no feeling quite like proving someone wrong.
After feeling let down by Man City, she made an A* start at Arsenal. With the 2025/26 season underway, Kelly has a real chance to put her ex-club (and challengers to Arsenal’s title hopes) in their place.
For all the ways City “messed up [her] dreams,” Chloe can be grateful the challenges “made her strong.”