Off-pitch lives and loves of England's Lionesses who have claimed Euro 2025 glory

 England defeated Spain in a nail-biting penalty shootout to defend their European crown in style on Sunday night. Chloe Kelly scored the winning spot-kick to securing a memorable Euro 2025 triumph for the Lionesses.

They came back twice to reach the decider in Basel and book this revenge mission against the same side who beat them at the 2023 World Cup in Sydney. And Mariona Caldentey ensured England would need another when she nodded in a 25th-minute opener, cancelled out by her Arsenal team-mate Alessia Russo with a header of her own from Kelly’s cross after the break.

Hannah Hampton made several spectacular saves in the shootout before Kelly netted the dramatic winner after Sama Paralluelo’s miss. Kelly said on BBC One: “I’m so proud of this team, so grateful to wear this badge and so proud to be English.

“I was cool, I was composed, I knew I going to hit the back of the net. I don’t miss penalties twice. It’s unbelievable, it’s not just this team it’s the staff behind us. Twenty-three players and all the staff behind us. Sarina Wiegman has done it again. It’s unbelievable.

“It’s going to be crazy. I hope the whole of England comes out to support us and show the love to all these girls because they deserve it.”

Here, Mirror Football offers an intimate glimpse into the behind-the-scenes lives of the Lionesses, revealing the passions, bonds and love stories that are fuelling their hunt for Euro 2025 glory.

Leah Williamson: the resilient leader

Captain Leah Williamson is back leading the Lionesses after missing the 2023 World Cup due to an ACL injury. The Arsenal centre back, who lifted the Euro 2022 trophy, has been pivotal on and off the pitch, advocating for equal access to PE for children - recently meeting Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to push the cause.

Off-field, Williamson, 28, keeps her personal life relatively private but has shared her love for music, learning to play the piano during her injury recovery. She came out as bisexual in 2022, and earlier this year, it emerged she was in a relationship with former Miss USA model Elle Smith.

The pair, who reportedly started dating in 2024, jetted off for a pre-tournament break in Majorca last month. Commenting on Williamson's Instagram post about the trip, Smith asked: "Same time next year? x," to which Williamson replied: "Yes please x."

Lauren Hemp: the young superstar

Manchester City's Lauren Hemp is a dynamic forward with 68 England caps, despite only being 24 years old. After returning from knee surgery last year, Hemp has been typically dazzling and has started every single one of the Lionesses' fixtures at Euro 2025 - netting in the 6-1 mauling of Wales.

Since 2023, Hemp - who is a self-proclaimed Lego fanatic - has been in a relationship with Sheffield United footballer Ashley Hodson. The couple keep things fairly low-key, but feature regularly on each other's Instagram feeds.

When Hemp received an MBE for her services to football last year, Hodson uploaded a snap of the two of them together, with the understated caption: "She did a thing... and it's great," followed by a heart-eyes emoji.

Alessia Russo: the goal-scoring icon

Alessia Russo is no stranger to making an impact at the Euros. She scored an audacious back-heel in the semi-final of Euro 2022 - a goal that was later nominated for the FIFA Puskas award - and ended the tournament as the second-top scorer, despite only ever appearing from the substitute's bench.

In Switzerland, the Arsenal star, 26, is looking to make a similar mark, though she only has one goal so far. Off-field, Russo is private about her love life, with no confirmed partner, focusing instead on her career and family.

Her brother Giorgio's stint on Love Island made plenty of headlines, but Alessia remains grounded, co-hosting a BBC podcast, The Tooney & Russo Show, with international team-mate and close pal Ella Toone. England fans will be hoping to see Russo kick things up a notch or two at the Euros, particularly after she was crowned FWA Women's Footballer of the Year in May.