Ealing Council has confirmed that Chloe Kelly – who once again etched her name into the history books by securing England’s triumph in the Women’s 2025 Euros final with a decisive penalty – will have an official Freedom of the Borough ceremony later this year or early next, following the motion passed in July 2023 to award her the honour.
Calls are also growing among residents for a permanent public tribute to the footballer, with suggestions ranging from a sculpture of the Lioness to a mural located somewhere in the borough.
The dramatic match on Sunday (27 July 2025), held in Basel, Switzerland, ended in a 3–1 victory for the Lionesses after going to penalties.
Kelly, 27, who grew up in Hanwell and attended Elthorne Park High School, stepped up to calmly slot home the winning kick – repeating the triumph that made her a national hero in 2022.
That year, she delivered the winning goal in extra time against Germany, sealing England’s first major women’s tournament victory. At the time, Kelly was playing for Manchester City. Earlier this month (2 July 2025), it was confirmed that she had joined Arsenal on a permanent deal.
In recognition of her continued achievements, Ealing Council passed a motion in 2023 to award Kelly the Freedom of the Borough. At a special council meeting on 11 July 2023, council leader Councillor Peter Mason introduced the motion, stating:
“I move formally that Chloe Kelly be awarded the freedom of the borough and reserve everybody’s right to speak at a celebration event in the not too distant future.”
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, an Ealing Council spokesperson said: “We are so proud of Hanwell born and bred Chloe Kelly, as well as the rest of the women’s England team for bringing football home again. Chloe is an inspiration to everyone across the borough playing sport, and alongside her Freedom of the Borough award, we are looking at the most appropriate ways to honour her.”
They added: “We are currently working on a public art plan for the borough, which goes out to consultation later this year, and we are keen that this plan includes the celebration of local heroes, like Chloe Kelly, and identifies spaces in our towns for these.”
