How It Started: Hannah Hampton
00:00Give me, give me, give me a keeper from the Midlands.She plays for Chelsea, but she grew up in Spain.Give me, give me, give me a keeper from the Midlands.Oh, 24, her name is the hollays.Do-da-da-da-da-da-da.Hey!Hello and welcome to We Are Chelsea, the official podcast of Chelsea Women,brought to you in association with Skoda,
00:25who are the official car partner of Chelsea womenand proud supporters of women's sport.I'm Casimir's and part of the reason for doing this podcastis to inspire the next generation of playersbut also give you all an insight into what it takes to reach the very top.We're going to find out how it all started with the biggest stars from the Chelsea team.Their origin stories, what inspired them to get into the gameand what setbacks they have had to overcome along the way.
00:51Today I'm very excited to be joined by goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.Well, Hannah, thank you so much for my.coming on to the podcast. How are you today?I'm a good, thank you. Yeah, I'm okay. I'm not too bad. Everything's always better whenthe sun's shining. Yeah, definitely. So I want to start with you a little bit on your early life.I know that you've talked about this a lot, but we want to hear it on the podcast. You'veemigrated from Spain, to Spain even, from Birmingham when you were just five and eventuallyscouted by Villarau youth team. So I think you've taken quite an
01:27interesting path that not many other players have. How did you get into football and what was thestory behind you getting scouted? I think just in Spain it's quite normal for the boys and thegirls at like obviously play times at the end of the day to play sports together on theplayground and obviously in Spain the big thing is football. So a lot of times all everyone wasjust playing football on the playground and yeah, I thought let's go join in. Let's have a bit of funwith my friends and stuffand before we even moved to SpainI was like obviously
02:01kicking a ball aroundchasing around all the ballswhen you're a little kidand sat on the side of my brother's sports matchesbeing too young to play,moning with my parents,being like I want to go join and all thisso yeah in Spain it was just normal
02:15so I joined them with the ladsand the school that we were atwas like the main school in Villarealso all the men's playerssent their kids to the schoolso at the end of the daythey would be there picking up their childrenso they would see all of us playing on the playground
02:30and they came up to myselfand it was like you should trial for Villarrealand see how it goes.So yeah, I didn't expect much of it.Do you remember which player it was?Yeah, it was Fabio Fuentes.His daughter was in my class.So it was him who came up to me
02:49at the end of the school day one timeand said you should go trial.And when I first moved there,I didn't know any Spanish.so he was speaking like foreign to meso I had to get at the timeone of like the translatorsto translate it for me
03:03and for my parentsso yeah I rememberonce I'd had the trialand you had the phone callwhether or not you'd been pickedto obviously be in the club or notwe were driving out at the school gates onceand my mum just got a phone call
03:18and it was a Spanish number and she answered itand they were just speaking really quicklyin Spanish didn't have a clueso she stopped the car behind,which was like another teacher from the schoolwho could obviously speak both English and Spanishand she translated it for usand that's how I found out
03:33if I was in the club or not.Oh my gosh.And have you maintained any contact with him since?Fabio Fentes, no, but obviously his daughter.I'm my school friendand all the friends that I madewhen playing football over in Spain.So that was nice.
03:49And do you ever say like,your dad should be a scout?He was absolutely right.look where I am now.I mean, it's not really ever come back up into conversation, to be honest, in terms ofhis dad are scouting me, but yeah, it's just nice being able to stay in touch with allthe Spanish lot, so we just speak about all the stuff we used to get up to in school ratherthan her dad's scouting me.
04:13Okay, fair enough.And you obviously can speak Spanish now.Do you think that comes in use with some of the players coming in overseas and have youfound it, I guess, especially useful with maybe Myra in particular?Yeah, I was laughing last night with Myra at the awards night because obviously she didn'tknow in English when she first came over.So I've been the translator for her, like in meetings and everything.But it was funny because when obviously we first knew we were getting Myra, a few of the
04:42staff came up to me and was like, oh, we're getting a new place.She doesn't speak any English, just Spanish, so we're just wondering if you could help outwith her.And it'd been a while since I'd obviously last spoken Spanish.oh my gosh I've got to remember it and all this and the other and then by the time they told methis and I was upstairs and I walked downstairs Myra just walked through the door on a very firstday so I was like oh so you want it like this this soon you want me to be able to speak Spanish againso I was like right okay and um one of the staff was with Myra like obviously welcome her in
05:12and we're like oh Hannah perfect timing you can you can speak Spanish like come say hiAt the time, I was learning in Italian.So I was like improving my Italian and I was getting my Spanish and Italian completely mixed up speaking to Myra and the first day.So she must have thought, who enough is this girl?But yeah, once I'd obviously been around Myra for a couple of days, the Spanish just comes back to you.So yeah, it was good.But the first day was a bit of a struggle trying to remember everything.But that happens, I think, when there's a side of your brain that goes to languages.
05:47I speak some languages as well.So I know.And then if I'm speaking French, say, a lot.And then I have to switch to Spanish, it will, I'll start mixing French and Spanish.So I think that's really common.Hopefully, she didn't think anything of it.And then, like you said, eventually it all comes back.And it's fine.
06:04Yeah.I mean, it still happens now because I'm still like messaging my friend in Italian.So I'm writing an Italian, but then I'm trying to speak in Spanish.And I'm trying to listen to her in Spanish and reply in Spanish.I'm replying to all the messages in Italian.Italian. It's just like, what is going on?I love that. Why did you choose to learn Italian?Just another language. It keeps me something to do most times after training.
06:26Obviously, when we're finished, I think people realise I'm not really a person who can just sit around and do nothing.I've got to be able to do something. I get bored quite easily.So it's been quite nice being able to learn Italian and knowing other languages as well.It's quite easy to pick up. It's quite similar.And I have friends who are Italian anyway, so it's quite nice being able to speak to them rather than expectback to them to speak English.Yeah, that's amazing.I feel like that's not the norm in Britain, though.
06:52People don't just naturally as a hobby want to speak other languages.So it's great that you're doing that.And, you know, if there's, you can communicate with even more people.So very interesting.And I don't know if this is right, but I read that you also can communicate in sign language.Yeah, I know a little bit of sign language.Why did you decide to learn sign language?My cousin's deaf.
07:15Okay.And so...growing up I could see the struggles with how it would be for him communicating withwith normal people and yeah obviously there's lip breeding that he's quite good at so if youspeak to him obviously he can lip read but I didn't think that's fair on him being able to justalways have to lip read people it's quite nice having someone who can obviously sign with himas well and it was always just my uncle who was signing with him and whenever we need somethingin the family it would always be our Pete can you translate this for Ethan or can you tell Ethan this
07:45So, yeah, I wanted to try and learn a bit so at least I can speak with my own family and my own cousin.And I also know when it's out in public and the one odd person is able to sign, like, how much it made Ethan happy.So just being able to see the joy on his face that other people who aren't got hearing disabilities are still learning sign language is quite nice.So I thought if I can do a little bit like that, it'll go a long way for.for certain people.Absolutely.Have you found that if you've communicated with somebody who's got a partial hearingor a hearing impediment when they're a fan and they maybe don't know that you can
08:31communicate and then you started communicating, can you see that they're just like,oh my God, yes, Hannah.Yeah, you can tell when people are not struggling but don't know how to say what they wantto say.So there's been a few times when I've stepped in to assist and, you know,You can see the smile it brings to their faceand seeing the smile on their face, like, makes me happy.So if I can help anyone in any way,
08:56then I'll try and do as much as I can.Oh, that's brilliant.Going back to the football now,I know that you originally played as a striker.When did you make the transition into goalieand who helped you realise that that was your calling?I'm guessing is it that in Spain,everyone starts off as a striker and then slowly moves,
09:13like, into different positions?No, no. In Spain, I was always a striker, a winger, midfielder, wherever they wanted running, I would be there because I enjoyed it.And even when I moved back to England and I was at Stoke, first, I was still a striker or a winger.And it was only when, I think, I was like 12 and a cube got injured in the warm up.I said I'd volunteer to go in goal like you do your round, that everyone goes around and takes their turn.So I thought, yeah, it's my turn, so I'll go in goal.and yeah after the game there was an England scout on the side that said we'll want youas our England goalkeeper so I thought nothing of it at first I was like that's not a position
09:50no chance when the week after went out of the position did you say yeah I was just thinking inmy head like I never said it to them like my coach obviously told me and I was just thinkingthat we'll brush it aside or we'll decide what to do in it in a couple of weeks butthe week after it was another game and another scout came to watch and I was playing outfield and they said, we'll take you as our England, England winger or England striker kind of thing,like as an outfield player. And that was it. And just had to choose. And I thought,let's have a bit of fun with it. I'll go, I'll play in goal for England, but I'll play outfieldfor Stoke still. So I did that. I mean, I went to an England camp when I was 12 as a goalkeeper
10:28and I didn't even have any clue about goalkeeping. So that was fun. And then I don't thinkI properly made the switch to goalkeeper until I was 14. I think I did like two seasons at Stoke whenI was just playing outfield or I'd play like half game outfield,half a game in goal.So I was guaranteed 90 minutes every single week.Nice.Yeah.Being smart with it.
10:49Yeah, you have to.You have to.And I guess when you were younger, was there a, I guess,what was the difference in your mentality of being a goalkeeper compared to an outfield playerand compare that maybe to now?I just like scoring goals and running.That was my only reason of not wanting to go in goal.Fair enough.
11:13You wanted all the glory when you were little.But now I guess...I just enjoyed running and I thought goalkeeper, you don't get a run.Yeah, okay.Now the tables have completely turned when you're kind of professional.He was like running.No, thanks.I was going to say, what is it compared to now that you're a professional?
11:30No, to be fair, I do try and push the boundaries a bit with the fitness with the staff.And they tell me after to calm down.But we try.got to push your luck at sometimes, haven't you? Yeah, absolutely. I also read that you were told bydoctors that you had some issues with your vision and perception in particular. So as a goalkeeper,or even as an outfield player, I guess I'm assuming that sight and death perception plays a majorpart. How have you adapted your game around this? Everyone says this, but I don't know how.Oh, really? I guess because it's super interesting. I guess I've just sat to put up with it, so you have to just
12:09get on with it.Okay.It's not really ever been something that I've had,so I don't know what it would be like if I did have it, do you know what I mean?Yeah.No, it's just I get on with it.If there's been a few times in the past when you'd get like a few blooded noses and stuffwhen you've misjudged the ball or a few broken fingers when the ball's called it wrong.
12:32Okay.Yeah, you just have to deal with it.But, yeah, everyone says like how you're a goalkeeper with no depth perception.and I have no idea.I don't get it.I'm a bit of a weirdweird situation,but it's worked, so we'll take it.
12:49It absolutely has worked.Now, our little birdies told methat you love a game of Unowhen you're travelling.And I spoke to Fran earlier in the seasonand she talked about how competitiveshe is with football,but not in other areas of her life.
13:03Are you competitive in other areas of your life as well?Do you get competitive when playing Uno?I wouldn't really say,competitive, I think it just goes back to the thing of not wanting to be bored, so I justhave to do something. Yeah, we have a little table, table on the bus, where we play a few cardgames and a few games, but yeah, I think that the Oona, I play with one of the staff, like oneof the photographers. Okay. Very competitive. Very competitive. And I've got it all tallyeddown on like scores and points and everything. I mean, I am winning, so she's losing by quite a lot.
13:36which does give a head loss sometimesbut yeahI'm just there for the fun and not being boredbut it obviously helps me winningso you're not goading her as you're winningno I just thought you know what let's put it out in herelet her listen to it and see what happenswhen we next play
13:58if the head's gone even before we startI need every little advantage I can getbrilliantis brought to you by Scoda, the official car partner of Chelsea women and proud supportersof women's sport. Whether you're playing five-aside after work, cheering the kids on from thesidelines on a Saturday morning or gathering with your mates to watch the big leagues atthe weekend. Scoda's the perfect companion for your everyday adventures. Zip around town in thefully electric eniac or give the squad a lift home in the all-new seven-seater Kodiak. There's
14:31something in the range to suit teams of all shapes and sizes. Don't just take my word for it.search the Scoda range today to jump in and see for yourself.Let's talk a little bit about the incident when you were playing for Aston Villa.But for those who, like lots of people have probably seen the Ball Boy incident.But for those who haven't, can you give us a bit of a rundown of what exactly happened?Of the Ball Boy one?Yeah.I mean, I was a bit confused myself, to be honest.
15:02City thought I was just time wasting and I was a bit like,your ball kid is literally not giving me the ball backand it was so awkward because there was a camera like right behindright behind her so I was likecan I please have the ballcan I please have the ballplease can I have the balland I was like like signalling
15:21give me like can I please have the balland she was like oh we're not allowed to give it youlike COVID says we can't give it youI'm thinking like can I please have the ballI've got the ref then whistling me going likehurry up onAnd there was at the time, like, the guy who was going famous, like, viral for pointing out the obvious Ghabi or something like this.So I've literally turned around to the ref and I've gone, well, like this to the ball kid, he's then retweeted it, like, Carb has retweeted it going, obviously, like, I'm copying him.
15:55I'm thinking, like, what is going on here?I'm like, I just want the ball so I can play football.But, yeah, see, I like, thinking I'm time wasted.And I'm like, your kid's not giving me it back.I come back to my phone.I mean, we lost the game and I come back to my phoneand my phone's gone mad of everyone posting this clip.Everyone, all my friends are messaging me going,
16:18it's absolutely hilarious.You've gone viral.I'm thinking, for what?I've just lost.And so, yeah.I know, literally, literally.Oh, brilliant.Let's talk now a little bit about Chelsea.
16:32You signed to Chelsea last year from Aston Villa.Tell us about what it was like before you signedwhen you knew they were interestedand I guess what influenced you to come to Chelsea.It's hard to put into words like what it's really like being at Chelsea.From when I first got involved in the professional gameand my very first game, I was involved with at Birmingham.I was against Chelsea.
16:58I was 15 and I was involved like on the bench just like as a standby.keeper and it was against Chelsea so seeing all the players and the qualities that they had andback then and that'd be my very first game I was always hoping and dream and I imagine one dayI've got to be there I got to be at Chelsea I got to have Emma Hayes coach me and all the staffthinking it'll never be possible but you can always like dream and then obviously going tovilla. I was thinking, hopefully it's still on the cards, maybe in the future, just had to takelike a step in the right direction, going to villa. And, yeah, as soon as Emma showed interestin the summer, it was a bit of a no-brainer, no matter whatever. However many other clubs came in
17:46for me, I was, I was always wanting to go Chelsea. I've always, as everyone says, I always bleedblue. I can't think of me being at any other club, especially not a red club. So,So, yeah, I definitely bleed blue.And being here and being under Chelsea is a special foot for me.I mean, I've lived out my dream on wanting to be at this club.So it's a lovely feeling.And it's funny because when I was in England, Camps and Carly was playing,she kept saying to me, oh, one day, Stuart Sell, the keeper coach here,
18:25he'll be your coach one day.Like, he's unbelievable, he'll be your coach.I was thinking, Carly.come on like be sensiblethis ain't going to happenand carly was like no no it's going to be happeningyou'll go to Chelsea one dayand I was thinking like Carly I'd love it
18:40I'd love it if you could put in a good word I would love itbut it's never going to happenand yeah I mean it's happenedand having Carly at the club stilland her telling me I told you it'll happenand having Stu and Emma as your coachesit's been unbelievableand they're both so deep
18:59detailed so driven in success and you can see the success that they've had is from all thehard work that they put in and the dedication that they give to the football club and to eachindividual in helping them improve so yeah it's been it's lovely having them as coaches what do youthink it will be like when knowing that this is going to be emma's last season what do youthink you've learned from her during the past season gosh you've gotten that in a short answerBlimey.No, I think there's so much I've learnt for Emma, off-pitch,how it affects you on pitch
19:35and how you can deal with thingsand training your brainand loads of things like thatthat you don't realise are so importantbut make a huge impact for you when you're on the pitchand obviously improve your gameand play the best you can,but obviously you've got all the technical
19:52and tactical stuff from her,but for me, yes, they're important,but I think I'll value all of the stuff that she's done for me off the pitchand help me with gaining a bit of self-confidence that I never had from before.So, yeah, I'll always owe a lot to Emma, and it's obviously sad to see her go,but you can understand the opportunity that she's been given,and I wish her all the best, just not all the best when she plays England.Well, touching on England, very briefly,
20:24let's talk about winning the eurosand can you even sum upwhat that felt like? Yeah, it wasan unbelievable summerI think it wasmade even special bythe fan's engagement and how much everyonegot involved and yes
20:40we might have been in our little COVID bubblebut you definitely saw all the videosfrom afar and people going to the pubsand watching the games or people out in the gardenswatching the games and littlethings that are going on soit definitely gave us the push that we needed toto go all the way and win the tournament.
20:57It will obviously always be a special momentand I just hope we can recreate it again next summerand yeah, just hope I can contributein a different way this time.Now, talking a little bit about social media,I've seen on the Chelsea Women's TikTok,I've seen you singing your gimmee, gimmee chan.Did you come up with that yourself?
21:21No, everyone thinks I've come up with this myself.I'm thinking like, I'm sorry, but I'm really not that sad to make up my own challenge.I was thinking clever.I wasn't thinking sad.No, I was, no, well, everyone's like, it's so sad that she had to make a brooch.I'm thinking, trust me, if I could have made up that chant, I would have been buzzing with myself.So, no, I didn't make it up.But it was when I was at Villa and everyone was like, she plays for Villa, but she grew up in Spain.
21:52And then it was like, oh, number one, her name was double head.So it's just, like, changed from, obviously, from Villa to Chelsea and number one to 24.Okay.But everyone's like, she's made of her own chant.I was thinking.For those who have not heard it or maybe.I really haven't.I wish I did because it was a great, it's a great catchy chant.
22:09Well, I was going to say, for those who don't have TikTok and haven't heard it, can you give us a little chant rendition now?Oh, I knew that was coming.Come on.We love to hear it.Go on.You've got to join in.Okay.Do you know it?
22:24well let's hear it maybe i do maybe i don't oh you can't stitch me up and just get me to sing my ownpeople think i've made it up again i think it's i actually thought you had and i was likebrilliant because it's a great charm but but no i would claim it if people think it just claim it rightcome on give me give me give me give me a keeper from the midland she plays for chelsea butshe grew up in spain give me give me give me give me a keeper from the midlearns are 24 her name is double-a-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da hey it's so goodit's so catchy I was thinking whoever's made that up is like unbelievable like you've donewell but yeah I wish I could take credit for it but I'm also not that sad to make up my own
23:12chance sorry guys um who do you think at the club has the best chant her and does it helpyou when you hear chance during a game yeah we we do love a good chant like on the pitchobviously it's encouraging when you're off the pitchingyou hear the fans singing it. It gives you asmile to brighten up your day.So even the other day againstBristol, loads of us onthe side on the bench, we're joining in with the fans' chance.
23:36It gets you going. We lovethem. Everyone's going to think I'm biased, butwe definitely have the best fans. Sowe join in with them whenever we can.Well, I especially do anyway.I love it. Hannah, I've got some listenerquestions for you. We ask them to emailin their questions every week. And
23:52Bani is asking, who is yourfunniest teammate. I'd saywhen Sam Kerr, Millie Bright,Erin and Guru get together, those.Yeah, I've seen the TikToks of those four. They're very funny.Osmond is asking,what has your favourite match been this season?There's a few. Just because it's
24:14everyone more like it, I think, when we beat Arsenal at home.Yeah, I'm sure that was a very good one.But there's a few contenders. I like it.Maybe Barcelona too.Yeah, Barsa, Man United at home.Yeah.I'mie is asking, have you taught any of your teammates any Spanish?And if so, who has picked up Spanish the best?
24:35Ez is learning Spanish.Yeah, Erin's learning it.Millie's doing some duerlingo,and each day we teach her a new sentence.Me and Maya, we teach her a new sentence.So there's a few who know Spanish already,but there's a few that are learning it.Oh, that's good to know.
24:51What was Millie's sentence today?I'm a footballer for Chelsea.I'm a football for Chelsea player.I'm a football for Chelsea.Love it.For Millie, who I know will be listening,what is your impression of Millie speak in Spanish?Oh, it's the Spanish-English accent.
25:14It's like,I'm like,Hugodora, a Chelsea.She's not yet quite,got the accent.Like, even when we went like tough, obviously for her to say it,miama, mili, like, I'm fine, grazi.Like, she didn't have the accent.
25:35She was just like, me gama, Millie,so very bien.And we were like, okay, Mill, we can understand you,but, you know, we might have to work on the pronunciation.A little bit like the bridesmaid speech.Yeah.When she stops going.I mean, it's the effort of learning that counts.
25:57It is the learning.We love you, Millie.We know you're listening and we think your Spanish is great.Keep going.Hannah, you've had a great season.How are you feeling about your future in blue?And can you sum up the excitement or feelings ahead of next season?Yeah, I mean, from the day I signed for Chelsea and I think I did all my, my
26:24media photos before I actually signed the contract, I was that happy to come here.And from that day, I'd had a huge smile on my face from here to here, and I don't thinkit's left from the whole season. Yeah, I love being at this club. I think, obviously, I've beenhere for a short time, but it feels like I've been here for years already. It feels like home,and I hope the future is a long one, long run here, and we can go on to win as manytrophies as we possibly can. Yeah, I'm excited for the future and things to come.our way and like I said I hope it's a very long journey I get to be on at this great club.Hannah, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I'm hoping that we can have you on again
27:05in the future for a longer time so I can ask you more questions. But I know you've got run off.Thank you very much.Thank you for listening to We Are Chelsea. The official podcast of Chelsea Women brought to youin association with Skoda, the official car partner of Chelsea women and proud supporters of women'sRemember to subscribe to the feed and give us a review.There will also be video content from the show across all of Chelsea's social media channels.And if you want to write in, make sure that you send an email to we are Chelsea at chelcfc.com.See you next time.
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