Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has criticised the way women’s goalkeeping errors are covered in the media, saying the focus on mistakes can unfairly damage reputations while positive performances are often ignored.
Speaking after winning the Women’s Super League Golden Glove award for a second consecutive season with Chelsea Women, the England goalkeeper said female keepers receive disproportionate scrutiny compared with the praise they earn for strong displays.
As reported by BBC Sport on Tuesday, Hampton was quoted as saying, “Women’s goalkeepers always get scrutiny, but when we do something right, there is not enough celebrating or acknowledgement of that,” Hampton said at the WSL awards ceremony.
The 25-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past year, helping the England women’s national football team retain the European Championship title at Euro 2025, where she produced decisive penalty shootout saves before later being named the world’s best female goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Despite her recent success, Hampton said media organisations often prioritise clips of errors instead of showcasing the development and quality of goalkeeping in the women’s game.
“The media have a big impact. If a goalkeeper makes a mistake, all of a sudden, they are the first people to put video clips out there and tarnish the reputation of women’s goalkeeping.
“Why put someone down when we’re trying to put women’s football on the map where it deserves to be? We have to champion each other’s successes,” she said.
Hampton’s career has included difficult moments. In 2022, she was dropped from the England squad shortly after the team’s European Championship triumph amid reports concerning her behaviour. She returned to the national setup in March 2023 after manager Sarina Wiegman said personal issues had been resolved.
The goalkeeper later admitted criticism surrounding that period was painful and revealed she had considered quitting football entirely.
More recently, former England number one Mary Earps criticised Hampton in her autobiography, claiming she had warned Wiegman against recalling her because of concerns over reliability and behaviour.
Hampton, however, stressed the importance of solidarity among goalkeepers, saying that the unique pressures of the position are truly understood only by those who play it.
“I think goalkeepers hold a unique pressure that really only goalkeepers truly understand. When I see other goalkeepers making worldie saves, it pushes me and drives me,” she said.
She also praised Sophie Whitehouse of Charlton Athletic Women, saying her development and performances this season deserved greater recognition ahead of Charlton’s promotion play-off against Leicester City.
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