Thousands of England fans are in central London to welcome the Lionesses after their historic Euro 2022 win over Germany at Wembley last night - the nation's first major football trophy since 1966.
Around 7,000 supporters are partying at the event hosted by Alex Scott in Trafalgar Square, where fans were dancing in the fountains last night after Chloe Kelly's extra time goal.
Supporters were given free entry on a first-come first-served basis from 11am on Monday, and enjoyed live music from DJ Monki while tournament highlights are shown on screens. The victorious players and their manager, Sarina Wiegman, will be greeted as heroes and take part in a Q&A session before lifting the trophy.
But there is growing anger that there will be no traditional bus parade - with critics pointing the finger at Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and the Football Association for failing to organise one.
The event has been organised by the Greater London Authority, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Westminster Council, and will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 12.40pm. It is expected to end at 2pm. Supporters were draped in free flags which simply read: 'Home.'
Yvonne Morrison, 61, took her grandson Ronnie, nine, to catch a glimpse of the Lionesses at Trafalgar Square. Ms Morrison, from Wiltshire, said: 'They've raised the profile of women's football, it's long overdue. Hopefully it will raise their salaries, and status. It's about time they were on an equal par.'
She added that 'what's really nice for us is that Ronnie's obviously male, and he's very interested in female football as well'. Nine-year-old football fan Ronnie said it was 'amazing' to celebrate the win with his grandma.
England's pride of heroic - and hungover - Lionesses partied until 4am ahead of the Trafalgar Square victory party after a record 23.3million watched them win the Euro 2022 final.
The team were congratulated by the Queen and then celebrated the win late into the night - including wild dancing at Wembley, on the team coach and even in the car park outside their hotel - after making history and beating Germany 2-1.
The 87,192-strong attendance in the stadium smashed the record for either a men's or women's Euros final and saw the team end more than 50 years of hurt. In extra time super substitute Miss Kelly fired them into the history books after beating Germany in a tight final that captivated millions and tens of thousands watching in pubs and fan parks across the country.
And MailOnline can reveal the victorious team partied until 4am at the Lensbury Resort - and many emerged bleary-eyed and wearing sunglasses five hours later after as little as two hours sleep.
Many in the country might feel the same with 17.4million watching the match on BBC1 - 5.7million more than the previous record for a women's match - plus a further 5.9million who watched on BBC iPlayer or via the BBC website yesterday. The match is also the most watched TV show of 2022.
Speaking about the party this morning manager Sarina Wiegman said it was 'crazy', adding: 'There was lots of music. Lots of dancing. And English people can really drink. There was a little bit too much alcohol. But that's ok. We enjoyed it. When you have these accomplishments it's really good to party'.
Her captain Leah Williamson received a huge cheers from dozens of fans as she emerged from the team hotel holding the Euro trophy. Wearing a red bucket hat, Leah struggled to lift the silver trophy above her head. She then told the BBC: 'I'm feeling a bit rough this morning'.
Matchwinner Chloe Kelly was one of the first players to leave the hotel accompanied by her boyfriend Scott Moore. He wore an England shirt with his girlfriend's name emblazoned on the back. The couple loaded up their car before returning to the hotel in Teddington, south west London.
Thousands of supporters, many draped in England flags and wearing replica shirts, queued outside the fanzone at Trafalgar Square in central London ahead of the Euro 2022 victory celebrations.
Among them was Chris North, 52, who said it was 'amazing' to be able to celebrate the victory with his two children.
'My wife's an ex-women's rugby player so we always had women's sport in our family, but they were so inspiring last night,' he said.
'The game was so exciting to watch. It's definitely a new dawn, which is fantastic.'
He said his six-year-old daughter is excited to see her 'new role models'.
Mr North said it's 'about time' that women's football received the 'level up' it deserved.
'There are still massive discrepancies between the two, and this is only going to help, because it's just not fair - not in today's society,' he added.
Lindsay Parslow, 32, said the Lionesses' win on Sunday was a 'big thing for women's football.'
'It's more out there, more noticed - because it wasn't before. And let's be honest, they beat the men!'
Ms Parslow, from Rochester, Kent, was in Trafalgar Square for the celebrations alongside her partner and sons, aged 10 and 12.
She said she thinks her sons, who are 'big football fans', will now start taking more notice of women's football.
Kate Wilkins, 52, and her daughter Isabel Wilkins, 14, and Jo Bellotti, 55, and her daughter Mils Bellotti, 15, all from Bath, are at the fanzone after watching the final last night.
Both Isabel and Mils play football, with Mils recently joining Bristol City.
Mils said: 'It was an amazing experience, it was an amazing atmosphere. The crowd was insane.
'We've been football fans most of our lives but it helps seeing that we can achieve that too.'
Ms Wilkins said: 'We're excited about how inspiring it's going to be for everybody.'
Ms Bellotti said: 'I've always loved football. And I wasn't allowed to play it at school. So to go from that to sit in in a sellout 87,000 capacity stadium, watching women play at that level and bringing home the European Cup was just amazing. I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime, to be honest. It's quite emotional.'
Some Scottish fans are at the fanzone in Trafalgar Square to celebrate England's Euro 2022 victory.
Morag Scargill, 58, from Kilmarnock, and Sara Turkington, 39, from Prestwick, travelled down from Ayrshire to watch the final.
Ms Turkington said: 'In terms of the women's game, it can be huge. Especially in Scotland, where we would love to see an improvement.'
Ms Scargill said that the pair were supporting England despite the rivalry between Scotland and their neighbours.
She said: 'We're women's football fans. (The match) was fantastic. You had to be there to experience it.'
Sir Elton John blared out of the speakers around Trafalgar Square as 7,000 England fans flooded in to toast their Euro 2022 champions.
With Sarina Wiegman and her players due on stage after midday, the merchandise stands around the London landmark were already doing a roaring trade by 10:30.
Supporters were draped in free flags which simply read: 'Home'.
Chloe Kelly's extra-time winner against Germany at Wembley on Sunday was still fresh in the memory as families arrived singing and dancing, including one girl dressed in full lioness regalia.
Flags were waving and chants were already beginning well over two hours before those in attendance were even going to get a glimpse of the European champions.
George Taylor, 26, from Tooting in south London, has become a fan of women's football in the last four years.
He said: 'I saw Germany play at Brentford and it was difficult to get tickets, which was nice in a way, for the women's game.
'Because the men's game is so iffy at the moment, it's good that the women's game is becoming more popular.'
On the men's game, he said: 'It's the money and the general behaviour from a lot of the men. It's aggressive and so cultish whereas the women's game is much more nice and friendly.
'The quality (of football) is really high for the women.
'It's good to see because it used to be the argument that the quality's not as good as the men's but now it's really good.'
The FA's director of women's football, Baroness Sue Campbell, said England's win will make a 'phenomenal difference'.
She told BBC News: 'I think it'll really take it to another level. But I think what happened yesterday was much broader than football.
'I think it will change the perception of women in sport generally, and I hope give women and girls real optimism that if they want to do something in life, whatever it is, if they work at it, they're going to achieve it.'
Baroness Campbell said she is not surprised at the TV viewing figures, adding: 'I think we've inspired a nation here.
'It's not just people who are interested in football before. We've got lots of new people who've watched the women's game, and lots of people who I hope will continue to support and watch the women's game.
'But we've also inspired lots of youngsters to realise that sport, football, is for them.'
Yvonne Morrison, 61, has taken her grandson Ronnie, nine, to catch a glimpse of the Lionesses at Trafalgar Square.
Ms Morrison, from Wiltshire, told the PA news agency that it was 'just absolutely amazing that they've been able to get this far, and that they've raised the profile of women's football, it's long overdue.
'Hopefully it will raise their salaries, and status. It's about time they were on an equal par.'
She added that 'what's really nice for us is that Ronnie's obviously male, and he's very interested in female football as well'.
Nine-year-old football fan Ronnie said it was 'amazing' to celebrate the win with his grandma.
Chris and Jan Copley, in their 70s, from Greenford, west London attended.
Chris said: 'We watched every game. We watched the final in the pub and the atmosphere was great.
'We've been watching the women's team for a while.
'We saw them in the World Cup so we follow them a bit.'
Jan said: 'It was great to see them win.'
Ryan Grumbridge, 40, and Gemma Grumbridge, 43, travelled from Oldham to London to watch the Euros final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday night with their two daughters.
Mr Grumbridge, who is a coach for the 250-strong girls' football club Crompton FC, said this is a 'massive' moment for women's football.
'It's good for them to get some recognition - I hope it keeps growing and growing, and we'll carry on getting decent-sized crowds.'
He said the Lionesses are 'fantastic role models' for his daughters Ruby and Amelia, aged 11 and 13.
'They've got a fantastic bond as well,' he added. 'They seem like great friends, [Ruby] follows them all on TikTok.'
Ms Grumbridge told the PA news agency it was 'absolutely amazing' to be in London to watch the game at Wembley, with 'lots of singing, lots of cheering... incredible'.
The Lionesses had arrived back at their team hotel just before 11pm and had danced with delight on oval garden at the entrance. They headed to a recreation room fitted out with giant bean bags and other home comforts where the party took place.
A hotel guest said : 'Everyone was clapping and cheering when they came in. I am sure it was one hell of a party. If anyone deserved to celebrate it was the Lionesses'.
Other players, including Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood, emerged from the hotel in the morning prior to a parade in Trafalgar Square. They were accompanied by an FA official and declined to comment. The most energetic was Hannah Hampton who walked down the steps of the hotel dancing.
David Williamson, 52, the proud father of captain Leah, 25, said the atmosphere last night was 'amazing..the girls were obviously enjoying it, just fantastic really'.
He said: 'We're very happy...all the girls just, I think they know that they kind of created history, I guess and I think they enjoyed it last night. 'It was fantastic. Everyone was very happy.' Dressed in a white t-shirt which said 'home' in red lettering he said he was 'unbelievably proud of Leah, I mean not just her the girls have just done amazing'.
He said there was 'a little bit of singing' as part of the celebrations last night as the girls were 'just releasing a lot of tension' following weeks of hard training.
Mr Williamson said he would be having breakfast and then heading to Trafalgar Square to continue the celebrations there.
The team were also enjoying themselves last night, singing Sweet Caroline with the crowd before enjoying a few beers and some dancing in the changing room at Wembley. There were also joyous scenes on the team bus and at the hotel in west London - as well as tears of joy when the players were reunited with their families and partners.
Experts have said the women's game will now 'explode' but there is growing criticism that just 66 per cent of primary schools and 44 per cent of secondary schools offer girls the same access to football as boys in PE lessons. Ian Wright has suggested that England's policy makers will throw away the legacy of the win if girls don't get the same chances as boys, warning that MPs and businesses will be 'jumping on' the Euro 2022 victory and must be forced to invest in the game.
Alex Scott said today that the Lionesses' Euro 2022 victory would be a game changer in terms of raising the profile of women's football.
She told BBC Breakfast: 'These Lionesses have raised the bar. They have changed the way women's football is viewed in this country. The train has left the station and it is gathering pace. It will be tragic to take any steps back after what we have witnessed yesterday and through the whole tournament. There must be an opportunity for every single girl to play football if they want to.'
Spectators at Wembley included the Duke of Cambridge, whose seven-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte had earlier filmed a 'good luck' message for the team.
Meanwhile, as many as 15million more were watching around the UK on television – another record for women's football – including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his children Wilf, two, and seven-month-old Romy.
The Queen led the praise, telling them in a statement 'You have all set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations'.
The result sent the Lionesses into raptures, with the victorious women storming into Sarina Wiegman's post-match press conference singing the Baddiel, Skinner and The Lightning Seeds anthem Three Lions.
The celebrations continued in the Wembley changing room as the players were seen dancing and laughing - enjoying their historic achievement.
Yesterday's final was a tense 90 minutes with flying tackles and yellow cards peppering a highly-energetic match, watched by Prince William in the crowd.
But the introduction of Ella Toone looked to have settled it after she broke to fizz a shot past helpless German keeper Merle Frohms watched by a record 87,192 in the stadium.
But there was heartbreak minutes later as Magull worked her way into position to equalise, devastating England fans across the country.
With only ten minutes left, the game was left balancing on a knife edge with the ultimate prize at stake.
The stalemate could not be broken, going into another agonising 30 more minutes of extra time which at first had produced nothing more.
But Kelly was not about to let the game go to penalties and picked the biggest stage in the world to produce her first ever international goal.
She dominated German keeper Frohms to propel England to a 2-1 lead and set the game beyond any doubt.
Yesterday in a statement The Queen said the women would go down in history and be icons of sport.
She said: 'My warmest congratulations, and those of my family, go to you all on winning the European Women's Football Championships.
'It is a significant achievement for the entire team, including your support staff.
'The Championships and your performance in them have rightly won praise.
'However, your success goes far beyond the trophy you have so deservedly earned.
'You have all set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations.
'It is my hope that you will be as proud of the impact you have had on your sport as you are of the result today.'
The Spice Girls praised the Lionesses for their 'girl power' following their historic win against Germany.
Geri Horner and Mel C were at the game last night and posed in England t-shirts for photos celebrating the win.
The 48-year-old and 49-year-old Wannabe hitmakers nailed sports chic in football attire as they watched England's Lionesses beat Germany.
Melanie flashed a peace sign as she and Geri posed for a selfie, which was posted to Instagram by the Watford-native alongside the caption: 'At the final! @lionesses !'
The British girl group reshared a photo of the England women's football squad celebrating on Twitter, writing: 'Congratulations @Lionesses True GirlPower right there.'
Scoring the final goal of the match, Kelly's sheer joy saw her rip her jersey off and wave it round her head – and get a yellow card for her trouble.
She said after the match: 'Oh my God - look at them. It's amazing! This is unreal!'
Kelly then abandoned the post-match interview to sing Sweet Caroline with her teammates.
When she returned she said: 'This is what dreams are made of, as a young girl watching women's football to this - it's amazing. These girls are special.'
It had been almost the perfect start for England as Fran Kirby found Ellen White but she headed it straight to Frohms in the first few moments of the match.
Later England put Germany under extreme pressure in the 18th minute after a series of corners threatened on goal, with Lucy Bronze's shot nearly squeezing past Frohms.
The Lionesses had peppered her goal with chances throughout the first half and fans may have been forgiven for wondering how they were not at least 2-0 up.
But Germany were not without their own threat, with one effort prompting a desperate goalmouth scramble to deny them a goal.
Dozens of ticketless fans were watching the match on their phones outside Wembley Stadium.
Supporters entering the stadium before 5pm had been largely positive and calm, with very little trouble for police.
However, those without tickets were still in the area after kick-off, opting to watch the match in nearby pubs or on their phones.
Craig Stephens, 58, and his wife Julie, 54, from Twickenham, south-west London, said: 'We just wanted to be around Wembley while the game was on, it really is historic.
'We're really excited and hope England can do well, but we know that Germany has been a dangerous opponent in the past.'
This morning the Lionesses' two biggest Royal fans had wished them luck and the future king was even there in person to cheer them from the stands.
The Duke of Cambridge posted a video to his official Twitter account this morning in which he and Charlotte shared their support for the Lionesses.
'We both want to wish the lionesses the best of luck tonight, you've done amazingly well in the competition and we're rooting for you all the way!' Will exclaimed, before Charlotte chipped in: 'Good luck, I hope you win. Bye!'
As the game got underway Prime Minister Boris Johnson showed he was tuning in with Romy and Wilfred with a post on Twitter.
Tens of thousands of fans had been seen around Wembley Stadium hours before the women's Euros final as the nation prepared for the match yesterday.
Supporters turned out in force to cheer on the Lionesses by flying England flags, painting their faces red and white and donning Team shirts to cheer on the players as they prepared to face Germany at 5pm.
Excitement was seen throughout the sea of England shirts and flags, blowing horns and clappers.
Many of those attending live and in pubs and bars and live screens set up across the country were in family groups, made up of young women and girls.
Among the crowd was Emma Newman, 21, a student from Whitby, North Yorkshire, who said: 'It's a really nice atmosphere, people are just here to see the match and nothing else.
'It's right that fans aren't causing trouble, these women are inspiring and deserve to be supported properly. I just hope they can get the job done.'
The Women's team qualified for their first Euros final since 2009 on Wednesday night, as they demolished Sweden 4-0 at Bramall Lane.
England, who have never won the tournament, played their first and last final at home in 1984.
Back then, some players' husbands were unable to join the crowd of 2,500 at Luton Town's Kenilworth Road ground because they could not afford the transport.
The game only had halves of 35 minutes instead of 45 and a smaller ball than that played with by men was used. #
England fans outside Wembley Stadium have been getting louder ahead of the Euro 2022 final. Groups of young women were chanting 'It's coming home', with fans outside pubs and restaurants joining in.
Young children were also seen leading chants as parents followed close behind. A small scattering of police officers, some on horseback, watched fans in the area ahead of kick-off.
The nearby BoxPark was also packed and noisy, with a performance from pop group from S Club 7. Chelsea Women's football manager Emma Hayes was urging crowds to chant and cheer louder.
A mother and daughter who are attending the final at Wembley together said the England team's success has 'helped grow' women's football.
Childminder Helen Charlesworth, from Orpington, Kent, said her daughter Darcey, 22, had enjoyed football from the age of eight and started playing with boys as there were no girls' teams around.
She said: 'I'm feeling nervous but excited. When we got the tickets last year it was a dream that England would be in the final and now it's come true.
'To be at a home tournament is amazing. The team is so strong and there is a real team spirit about them.
'The fact that the women's game is growing is amazing. This tournament has definitely helped grow the game and support for it,' Ms Charlesworth added.
Up north, locals flocked into Newcastle's Central fan zone to watch the Women's England team take on Germany and were pictured in high spirits donning England shirts and flags.
Anna Benham, 30, an administrator from Newcastle said: 'I've watched every single game and I'm excited for the final. It's really great to see the support and how the country has got behind them.
'I've came into the centre because it's a fantastic atmosphere and we can all celebrate together when we win.'
Leah Harker, a 20-year-old sports science student from County Durham said: 'I'm really excited for the game, I've been following along the entire tournament. It's a really great atmosphere.
'We're going to bring it home today. It's great to see women's football leading the way and that people are getting behind it.
'It'll mean a lot to some people if the women can win the Euros after the men couldn't.'
Jake Brown, a 24-year-old engineer from Newcastle said: 'I watch every England game so I'm looking forward to the final.
'It'll be a really good result, I refuse to believe in defeat. It doesn't matter that it's women's football to me. It's football and it'll still be a good game.
'We came out last year for the men's final and it was a great day so today should also be great.'
Charlotte Glass, a 23-year-old stay at home mother from Newcastle said: 'I can't wait for the game.
'We came out to watch it with everyone else as it's so much better than watching it from home.
'We did something similar for the men's Euros last year and it was great. I really hope they win.
'If they do, more people will get into women's football which would be great to see. People are already supporting it more after their results this year.'
England's heroine of the hour: How Chloe Kelly went from the 92 bus and football practice on a gravel pitch in Ealing with her five big brothers to clinching victory for the Lionesses in extra time
By CHRIS WHEELER FOR THE DAILY MAIL and CHAY QUINN FOR MAILONLINE
Chloe Kelly would have found it hard to avoid football growing up. The youngest of seven children embraced the sport from the moment she followed her five brothers to a caged gravel pitch on the Windmill Park Estate.
Kelly was football-mad. As a youngster she even took the 92 bus from Ealing to go to Wembley on FA Cup Final day. Was she there to watch the match? No. She was there to collect a programme.
That yearly pilgrimage helped form the Lioness with the location taking on a whole new meaning yesterday: as she scored the goal at Wembley against Germany to bring England its first piece of footballing silverware since 1966.
'I don't think there are many who came up playing in a cage,' says the 24-year-old. 'I was always around the cage with the boys as soon as I was allowed, about the age of seven. My brothers included me even though they were older and playing with their friends.
'The whole summer we would get out in the cage early mornings, go back for some food and be straight back there. A few years later, someone melted a bin in the middle. It wasn't the best, but we had to make do with what we had!
'Playing cage football really made me the player I am. It added a bit more creativity to my game and the physicality as well.'
Were the brothers protective? 'Definitely not. They were probably the ones telling everyone to hit me harder. Get used to it. If I was on the floor, they would tell me to get up.
'They never really felt sorry for me if I was getting knocked about. I think that was the way to go. If they made it easy, you would always think everything is going to come easy in life and that's not the case. That's how I've got so far today.
'I was one of them. Looking back, I really appreciate that but less so at the time. I was a bit gutted going home and crying to my mum sometimes.'
Kelly watches elder brother Jack and triplets Ryan, Jamie and Martin play local league football when she is back in west London.
'Jack still says now that he's better than me,' says Kelly who has another brother, Daniel, and sister, Paris. 'He says, 'I've taught you everything you know, but not everything I know'. They don't let me get too carried away. They always keep me grounded and that's a great thing.'
After being scouted by QPR at a schools tournament - 'it was my first real game because I was used to playing in the cages' - Kelly turned professional with Arsenal. She took the bold decision to move to Everton, initially on loan, in 2016 even though it led to homesickness and regular calls to her mum Jane and dad Noel.
'If I hadn't gone to Everton, I don't know if I would be in the position I'm in now at City and pushing on in my career,' she says. 'I could have been satisfied with sitting on the bench at a top club but I needed minutes under my belt. I needed to show what I was capable of on the pitch, not just the training pitch. I don't think a lot of people would make that leap of moving to a city I'd never been to before at such a young age.
'It was very daunting. Because I was such a family girl, I got homesick and every opportunity I got I would be back, but I knew it was the best for my career.'
Kelly was fourth in the Women's Super League scoring charts with nine goals for Everton when the season was ended. City, who were top at the time but saw Chelsea crowned champions on a points-per-game basis, signed Kelly in July 2020 and she scored an impressive 10 goals and made 11 assists in her first season in Manchester.
'Once I found out City were interested in me it was a case of, 'OK, when can we get it done?'. I can't wait to get going,' says Kelly. 'There are a lot of England internationals here and that was massive for me. If I get another call-up, it's easier going into that environment by playing with those players day in, day out.
'I looked at playing with the likes of Steph Houghton and Jill Scott, learning, adding to my game. I'm ambitious and I want to be the best version of myself.'
She only made one appearance in the WSL last season after suffering a heartbreaking ACL injury which jeopardised her ability to compete in this summer's Euros.
But she roared back and made Sarina Wiegman's squad for the home tournament.
It was the latest rally back from injury that Kelly had to endure. She made her England debut in November 2018 as a substitute against Austria in a friendly but suffered an ankle injury that required surgery the following February.
It kept her out for six months and out of contention for a place at the 2019 World Cup, where new team-mate Ellen White scored six goals as England reached the semi-finals.
But the demons of missing out on that run have been banished by her heroics in the Euros final yesterday, following up on a spilled ball in the 20th minute of extra time to send England into dreamland.
England's heroine of the hour: How Chloe Kelly went from the 92 bus and football practice on a gravel pitch in Ealing with her five big brothers to clinching victory for the Lionesses in extra time
Chloe Kelly would have found it hard to avoid football growing up. The youngest of seven children embraced the sport from the moment she followed her five brothers to a caged gravel pitch on the Windmill Park Estate.
Kelly was football-mad. As a youngster she even took the 92 bus from Ealing to go to Wembley on FA Cup Final day. Was she there to watch the match? No. She was there to collect a programme.
That yearly pilgrimage helped form the Lioness with the location taking on a whole new meaning yesterday: as she scored the goal at Wembley against Germany to bring England its first piece of footballing silverware since 1966.
'I don't think there are many who came up playing in a cage,' says the 24-year-old. 'I was always around the cage with the boys as soon as I was allowed, about the age of seven. My brothers included me even though they were older and playing with their friends.
'The whole summer we would get out in the cage early mornings, go back for some food and be straight back there. A few years later, someone melted a bin in the middle. It wasn't the best, but we had to make do with what we had!
'Playing cage football really made me the player I am. It added a bit more creativity to my game and the physicality as well.'
Were the brothers protective? 'Definitely not. They were probably the ones telling everyone to hit me harder. Get used to it. If I was on the floor, they would tell me to get up.
'They never really felt sorry for me if I was getting knocked about. I think that was the way to go. If they made it easy, you would always think everything is going to come easy in life and that's not the case. That's how I've got so far today.
'I was one of them. Looking back, I really appreciate that but less so at the time. I was a bit gutted going home and crying to my mum sometimes.'
Kelly watches elder brother Jack and triplets Ryan, Jamie and Martin play local league football when she is back in west London.
'Jack still says now that he's better than me,' says Kelly who has another brother, Daniel, and sister, Paris. 'He says, 'I've taught you everything you know, but not everything I know'. They don't let me get too carried away. They always keep me grounded and that's a great thing.'
After being scouted by QPR at a schools tournament - 'it was my first real game because I was used to playing in the cages' - Kelly turned professional with Arsenal. She took the bold decision to move to Everton, initially on loan, in 2016 even though it led to homesickness and regular calls to her mum Jane and dad Noel.
'If I hadn't gone to Everton, I don't know if I would be in the position I'm in now at City and pushing on in my career,' she says. 'I could have been satisfied with sitting on the bench at a top club but I needed minutes under my belt. I needed to show what I was capable of on the pitch, not just the training pitch. I don't think a lot of people would make that leap of moving to a city I'd never been to before at such a young age.
'It was very daunting. Because I was such a family girl, I got homesick and every opportunity I got I would be back, but I knew it was the best for my career.'
Kelly was fourth in the Women's Super League scoring charts with nine goals for Everton when the season was ended. City, who were top at the time but saw Chelsea crowned champions on a points-per-game basis, signed Kelly in July 2020 and she scored an impressive 10 goals and made 11 assists in her first season in Manchester.
'Once I found out City were interested in me it was a case of, 'OK, when can we get it done?'. I can't wait to get going,' says Kelly. 'There are a lot of England internationals here and that was massive for me. If I get another call-up, it's easier going into that environment by playing with those players day in, day out.
'I looked at playing with the likes of Steph Houghton and Jill Scott, learning, adding to my game. I'm ambitious and I want to be the best version of myself.'
She only made one appearance in the WSL last season after suffering a heartbreaking ACL injury which jeopardised her ability to compete in this summer's Euros.
But she roared back and made Sarina Wiegman's squad for the home tournament.
It was the latest rally back from injury that Kelly had to endure. She made her England debut in November 2018 as a substitute against Austria in a friendly but suffered an ankle injury that required surgery the following February.
It kept her out for six months and out of contention for a place at the 2019 World Cup, where new team-mate Ellen White scored six goals as England reached the semi-finals.
But the demons of missing out on that run have been banished by her heroics in the Euros final yesterday, following up on a spilled ball in the 20th minute of extra time to send England into dreamland.