ENGLAND captain Leah Williamson choked back tears on stage at the victory parade of Euro 2025.
The heroic Lionesses were back in London today after beating Spain on penalties Switzerland on Sunday to be crowned back-to-back European champions.
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They are the first senior Three Lions side to win a major competition on foreign soil.
The Lionesses were roared on by thousands of fans as they arrived in front of Buckingham Palace to speak on stage.
But during the speech, skipper Williamson choked back tears as she addressed fans.
Williamson, 28, came out to the stage by the Queen Victoria Memorial with the Euro 2025 trophy in hand.
The Arsenal defender was visibly emotional as she thanked the crowd for their support.
Speaking to presenter and former Lioness Alex Scott, she said: “I’m holding back tears. I’ve been crying all down The Mall.
“This is unbelievable, this is probably one of the best [things] we have ever been a part of, so thank you for coming out.
“There are many ways to win a football match. And we repeatedly did it the hard way, but you can see how much we care about playing for England and how much we love it.”
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Comparing the 2022 victory over Germany to Sunday’s against world champions Spain, Williamson said: “In 2022, that was a fairytale but this feels really hard-earned and we’re very proud of ourselves and I hope you are, too.”
England led for less than five minutes in the knockout stages, coming from behind three times in to win in the latter stages, including showing nerves of steel to win two penalty shootouts.
However, Williamson opened up on how the team pulled together after their opening defeat by France to find their never-say-die spirit which ultimately brought home the silverware.
She continued: “Yeah we came together, we came close. The first game maybe rocked us a little bit but I think they’re just special people and we love each other on and off the pitch.
“We’ve had tough moments, some nasty things to deal with and still we rise.”
Sending a message directly to fans who supported them in Switzerland and back home, Williamson said: “Everything we do, obviously, we do it for us and our team, but we do it for the country and for young girls.
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“This job never existed 30-40 years ago and we’re making history every single step. Thank you so much for being with us.
“Stay with us, this story’s not done yet.”
Minutes later the England team lifted the trophy for the jubilant crowd as fireworks and red smoke went off behind them.
Match winner Chloe Kelly also gave a speech while on the stage – but forced BBC host Scott into an apology after swearing on the microphone.
Kelly said: “Pressure? What pressure?
“It feels so good to stand side-by-side with every single one of these girls throughout the whole tournament and the staff you don’t see behind the scenes.
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“Thank you to everyone who got out to support us. It’s so f****** special.”
The England heroes were at Number 10 Downing Street earlier this week.
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