'Leading that group was special' - Houghton's major tournament memories | OneFootball

Steph Houghton grew up idolising England icons, but soon after her first game for City she saw children with her name on the back of their shirts.

She has since cemented herself as one of the most inspirational England players of her generation.

Having served as captain of England, the Blues and Team GB, our colossal former captain has easily become a true icon of the game and a pioneer in women’s football.

City’s most decorated player made her England debut against Russia in March 2007, before being appointed Lionesses captain in April 2014.

During her time on the international stage, she participated in two World Cups and two Euros as well as featuring for Team GB in two Olympic Games.

With the 2025 Euros just around the corner, the former Manchester City centre-back sat down with us to reflect on the defining moments of her tournament memories.

Steph’s major tournament journey started at the 2011 World Cup in Germany. At 23 years old she was a young player, who had just received one of the most exciting phone calls - the one every aspiring player hopes to receive one day and the chance to play on one of the biggest stages.

“I was absolutely buzzing,” Steph said.

“You always wanted to be able to go away with England just to absorb everything and witness how much the World Cup takes over that country.”

Her first appearance during the tournament was coming on in the quarter-final against France. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end.

Then came London 2012. Wembley Stadium, a crowd of over 70,000 and a goal that changed everything. Steph was building something special.

“The Olympics was a standout personal moment for me,” she said.

“But I think for me, it wasn’t getting the win, getting the winning goal, it was about that wider impact that we're talking about.”

She went on to score three more goals that tournament, more than any other British player. But this was more than just hitting the back of the net. It was a breakthrough. women’s football had never been more visible.

“That was the start of women's football being big in this country and to have played a big part of that along with the other girls.

“We knew how much that meant in terms of playing for Team GB and doing something that's never been done before.

“I think that's probably one I look back on more fondly because of the impact it had around the game.”

By the time the 2013 Euros came around, Steph was shaping herself into more than just a stalwart defender. She was evolving as a leader, and it wasn’t long before she was offered the captain’s armband.

The 2015 World Cup in Canada was her first tournament leading England out onto the pitch. England finished third, at the time it was their best ever result.

It was easily her favourite tournament. The journey the team went on and the lack of pressure on them to do well is why it was so special for Steph.

“I think one of my favourite ever matches was probably when we played Canada in the quarter-final in Vancouver in terms of atmosphere and being totally the underdog in a tournament, I think the way that we played the, the result that we got and to get to a semifinal was yeah, that was like probably a complete day to be honest.”

That summer laid the foundation for everything that followed. The semi-final runs, the growing crowds and the future Euros.

For Steph, major tournaments are more than just playing for your country. It’s about making your family proud, spending time with friends and inspiring a nation.

“Whenever we came back from World Cup, the impact seemed bigger than the Euros was.

“I think obviously the 2015 World Cup was massive in the sense of what we did, we won the bronze medal, and I started to see young boys and girls with my name on the back of their shirts.

“That was huge for us as female players back then because that wasn't a normal thing.”

Family means more than anything to Steph, when she sang the national anthem before a game, she would look up to the stands to find her mum, dad, brother and husband. This was just as special to them as it was for her.

“Whether I played at City or England, if I knew my family were coming to the game, I needed to know where they were in the stadium.

“The sacrifices they made to come and watch me and support me, I can never repay them, to be honest.

“That's what kind of drove us on for the last few years of my career, is that you're not just doing it for yourself. You're doing it for your husband, my family.”

Euro 2017 ended in another semi-final exit for the Lionesses, but it was the tournament that stands out the most to Steph as she donned the captain’s armband for the second time at a major tournament.

“To be honest, I really did think that we were going to go all the way. We performed really well in terms of every group game.

“We were ticking the games off as we went, we beat France one-nil, which was an unbelievable performance. We hadn't beaten them for so long.

“Although we got kicked out in the semi-finals by Netherlands, for me personally, I thought I had a really good tournament.

“I was able to lead the team with more confidence, but I was so gutted that we didn't really get to that final.”

This summer, Houghton will watch on from the sidelines following her retirement from playing in the summer of 2024.

She’s seen the Lionesses evolve from underdogs to champions and played a major role in helping that to happen. She knows the next chapter is in the best hands.

“I watch the girls and I'm just so proud of them,” Steph said.

“I think the likes of Alex, you look at Hempo, they've got their experience at this international level. Now you see the likes of Jess Park, Laura Blindkilde Brown coming into the squad and that's the start of their new journey.

“The sky is the limit for them, they have no kind of boundaries, they can keep pushing, they can keep reaching the potentials and they've got everything that they need to do that as well, which is so exciting.

“Hopefully the girls can retain the trophy and we see a bit of a bigger impact than we did the year before.”