“It’s not just winning on the pitch; it’s winning off the pitch”: Chloe Kelly on inclusivity in sport, the importance of grassroots football and being a bad loser

There aren’t many people in the country who haven’t heard the name Chloe Kelly. The unstoppable footballing legend is just 27 years old, and she’s already scored the winning penalty for England in the Euros this summer. She also scored twice in the Barclays Women’s Super League while on loan to Arsenal last season and has scored twice more so far this season. And that’s all just in 2025.

But whether it’s playing against her brothers at the local community centre as a kid or taking England’s fifth penalty in the 2025 Euro final against Spain this summer, Kelly is known for staying cool, calm and collected, with a determination to win.

As she sits with her dogs at home, she tells Stylist that her mindset isn’t that far away from the little girl who grew up on a council estate in west London, dreaming of playing for England.

“I don’t think it has changed. I was always hungry for success,” she says. Since those days, it’s taken hard work, incredible skill and a love of the game for her to become the star that she is. And now she gets to work alongside the players she looked up to all those years ago. She also, in part, credits her rise to the top to the National Lottery funding that put money into the community centre where she grew up playing. Without this funding, she truly believes that she might not be where she is today.

In conjunction with the National Lottery, she recently made a surprise appearance at a school in London to meet young girls taking part in football. She announced that over £8,000 of funding would be provided to Saving Souls Hub, a grassroots sports organisation that runs football sessions at London schools.

After the summer of sport that she has had, Kelly sits down with Stylist about how the importance of funding in grassroots sport helps encourage participation from young girls, what it’s like to be a role model, and why representation is so important for the next generation. 

Hey, Chloe! How does it feel to be an inspiration to young girls who want to get into football because of you?

It makes me really happy seeing young girls playing the sport that we love. It takes me back to when I was growing up in an environment that was mostly male-dominated. I went with my brothers, who made me feel confident, but seeing more girls in environments where they feel comfortable and able to perform is amazing. [There are] more girls’ teams, more opportunities for girls. I think it’s amazing that we’re taking our sport to a whole other level, and we can still keep driving forward.

Who were some of the players that you looked up to when you were a kid?

Kelly Smith was someone I looked up to all my career. Even now, working with her at Arsenal, I’m learning so much from her. She still is my idol because of what she did for women’s football. And Rachel Yankee – for Arsenal, for England, she was incredible. She used to pick me up from the train station and bring me to the training ground when I joined the first team. They always say never meet your idols, but I’m glad I met mine.

Is it daunting at all working with your idols?

Yeah, definitely! [At first] you want to learn so much, so you probably don’t speak much. You just want to take everything in. But now, as my career has grown, I’m definitely asking questions. I’m surrounded by the best players in the world, so I can learn every day from them.

Kelly’s talent was so special, but her mindset was incredible and still is now. So, those are the small things that you can take into your own game. 

Why is visibility so important in women’s sport?

Growing up, you couldn’t really see it to be it. You always wanted to play for England, you always wanted to be a professional player, but actually, the visibility was never really there.

Now we’re able to see our role models on the telly. You’re able to walk past a shop and see them in the window, on the billboards. That’s what’s brilliant for the younger generations of girls – they’re able to dream big. Because actually, it is possible.

Tell me about your connection to grassroots football?

I grew up on a council estate in west London, going to the community centre as a child. The National Lottery put funding into the community centre, which helped it to put on more football sessions, more social clubs, and funding into the cages where I grew up playing. That helped me and influenced my career. To see those young girls on the day I visited that school was great because it reminded me of [me as a] young girl. [I can] look back at my career and be like ‘wow’. Without that funding, maybe I wouldn’t have had the facilities… to go into that cage and find my love for football.

For women in sport, participation at the bottom stages of the ladder is really important. Those people are the next generation of our sport.

How does sport link to wellbeing in your own life?

Sport allows you to block out everything else that’s going on in the world, in your personal life, and just enjoy playing and socialising. It’s an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe.

And how do you look after your wellbeing off the pitch?

I think having people that I know I can go to or speak to, but also switching off from the game. There is a lot of pressure around our sport, and as the game continues to grow, there’s pressure on social media, too. Trying to show everyone what you’re capable of on the highest stage is tough. So, switching off is really important. How I do that is with my dogs, who are here with me here, and with my husband, my family and doing things that I enjoy. 

How can the average person support grassroots women’s sport?

Firstly, going out to support. There are a lot of volunteers within clubs taking the sport forward. Also, participation. Knowing how good football makes me feel, I would love for someone to take that step and try it, especially if they’re feeling in a dark place, because football takes you to a different place, and it can bring people together.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the best equipment. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the best talent; it’s just enjoying and doing something that makes you feel good.

We’ve had an incredible summer of women’s sport. Do you think inclusivity is getting better in sport?

Yeah, for sure. I didn’t know too much about women’s rugby before the Women’s Rugby World Cup. I knew that they were playing in the World Cup and we were hosting. And now I can’t wait to go watch them play for their clubs. So, I think it’s amazing to see that. We’ve been successful now at two tournaments this summer, in football and rugby, and we want to support each other to get to great places.

But inclusivity isn’t just on the pitch; it’s in the stands. Representing a huge club like Arsenal, I think they’re always at the forefront of pushing the women’s game forward. I’m proud to represent a club that actually has so much inclusivity, so much diversity.

There’s still more to do in terms of participation and opportunity, but I think the success that we’ve had over the last few years has definitely helped that. I feel very proud that we’re taking our game forward.

And how do you think your mindset has changed compared with playing football as a kid versus at the Euros?

I don’t think it has changed, I’ll be honest. I was always hungry for success. I’m a real bad loser. My mum always told me I was. My mindset has always been: I just want to win. What’s different now is having the feeling, the taste of winning – it makes you so hungry for more, for more success.

But it’s not just winning on the pitch; it’s winning off the pitch. You can see young girls wanting to play our sport, getting involved. Women that may have never been to a game are coming out and supporting; men who may have said in the past ‘women are rubbish’ are actually coming now and changing their minds and accepting that we’re here to stay.

I’m proud to be part of this. 

Chloe Kelly has partnered with The National Lottery to spotlight the incredible groups and individuals doing extraordinary things in their community, all made possible because of you. Every week, National Lottery players raise £30 million for good causes. 

Images: National Lottery for Getty