Euro 2022 LIVE: England players lauded by thousands at Trafalgar Square victory party

Gary Lineker has explained why he deleted a tweet about England hero Chloe Kelly’s now famous celebration during the Euro 2022 final.

Kelly scored the winner in extra time as England beat Germany 2-1 to win Euro 2022. The Manchester City forward took off her shirt and wielded it over her head, mimicking Brandi Chastian’s iconic celebration from USA’s win over China in the 1999 World Cup final when she took off her shirt and slid on her knees wearing a sports bra.

Lineker is well known for his attempted puns on Twitter, and soon after England sealed victory he posted: “The @Lionesses have only gone and done it, and Kelly is England’s heroine, bra none.”

Lineker swiftly the deleted the tweet after some commenters took offence, seemingly not realising the context of the joke. The BBC presenter was criticised by Karen Ingala Smith, chief executive of the Nia charity campaigning against violence aimed at women, who wrote: “Please apologise for and condemn the sexist responses to your now deleted badly judged tweet.”

He explained: “It was just a play on words given the celebration. I do rubbish like that constantly on here, including on men’s football. I’ve deleted it as many people didn’t see the game so missed the context.”

Police arrested only two people in connection with the women’s Euros final at Wembley Stadium, a year after mass disorder at the end of the men’s tournament.

On the day the England men’s team lost to Italy in July 2021, 86 people were arrested in London - including 53 at Wembley - for offences including assault, vandalism and being drunk and disorderly.

Nineteen police officers were injured in ugly scenes, as thousands of ticketless fans forced their way into the stadium.

When the women’s side beat Germany to win the UEFA European Women’s Championship 2022 on Sunday, just two arrests were made at Wembley and none in the Trafalgar Square fan zone, where thousands celebrated the historic triumph.

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Claiming a first major trophy to such public acclaim has catapulted England and women’s football in general into the spotlight both at home and abroad. Wiegman and her players are likeable, approachable and strong role models, and they are sure to be inundated with offers of sponsorship and endorsements both collectively and individually. It would be no surprise if manufacturers of sports underwear are already queuing up to talk to matchwinner Chloe Kelly following her delirious goal celebration, which mimicked that of the USA’s Brandi Chastain after she scored the decisive penalty in the 1999 World Cup final.

Some of England’s 1966 World Cup winners had to wait decades to be recognised for their feat, but Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has already called for the Lionesses’ success to be celebrated in the New Year’s Honours List. In addition, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year already has strong candidates for its individual, team and coaching awards.

Claiming a first major trophy to such public acclaim has catapulted England and women’s football in general into the spotlight both at home and abroad. Wiegman and her players are likeable, approachable and strong role models, and they are sure to be inundated with offers of sponsorship and endorsements both collectively and individually. It would be no surprise if manufacturers of sports underwear are already queuing up to talk to matchwinner Chloe Kelly following her delirious goal celebration, which mimicked that of the USA’s Brandi Chastain after she scored the decisive penalty in the 1999 World Cup final.

The Lionesses’ record goalscorer Ellen White moved to within one of Wayne Rooney’s tally of 53 for his country with her double in the 8-0 group-stage victory over Norway. She did not find the back of the net in the knockout stages but will hope to match and then overtake the former Manchester United striker either against Austria - she scored the only goal when the sides met earlier in qualification - or Luxembourg, against whom she struck twice in a 10-0 away win.

Should Wiegman’s side secure their trip Down Under for next summer’s World Cup finals, the degree of difficultly will increase significantly as they target the biggest prize of all. Ranked eighth by FIFA before they kicked a ball at the Euros, they dispensed with second-placed Sweden in style in the semi-finals and the Germans, who were fifth, when it mattered most. However, holders the United States remain world football’s powerhouse and the four-times winners - England went out in the semi-finals in both 2015 and 2019 - will take some beating.

England will have a matter of weeks to revel in their triumph, with the new Women’s Super League season due to kick off on September 11 and two key World Cup qualifiers to come before it does. Wiegman’s side will make it to next year’s finals in Australia and New Zealand if they avoid defeat by Austria - their opening Euro 2022 opponents - in their penultimate Group D qualifier at the Wiener Neustadter Stadion on Saturday, September 3, with Luxembourg due at the bet365 Stadium three days later. The Lionesses currently boast a perfect record with eight wins out of eight, 68 goals scored and none conceded.

Williamson said she hoped the tournament could lead to lasting change for the game across the world.

“I think the legacy of the tournament was already made before that final game, the young girls and the women who can look up and aspire to be us,” she said.

“We’ve changed the game, hopefully in this country and across the world.”

England men’s captain Harry Kane had tweeted to Toone on Sunday: “Take a bow for that finish”.

Asked about that onstage, Toone joked: “Yeah, I taught him that.”

Kelly, referencing her ecstatic celebrations after her winning goal, said: “The shirt’s staying on!”

Confetti cannons and giant sparklers greeted England once again lifting the trophy, with Wiegman then encouraged to lift it by herself to more acclaim.

The squad sang ‘Sweet Caroline’ and ‘Freed From Desire’ - repackaged as “Beth Mead’s on fire” - before before Rachel Daly grabbed the mic to lead a chorus of ‘River Deep, Mountain High’.

England players celebrated their Euro 2022 success in front of a packed Trafalgar Square on Monday.

Sarina Wiegman’s side beat Germany 2-1 after extra-time at a sold-out Wembley on Sunday to win the first major trophy in their history and the first for a senior England side since the 1966 World Cup.

Celebrations had gone on throughout the night and continued the next day with a special event in central London in front of thousands of fans.

Former England international and BBC pundit Alex Scott introduced the players on to the stage shortly after 12.30pm and started a rendition of ‘Football’s coming home’.

Fans who could not get into Trafalgar Square gathered on the steps of the National Gallery just to get a vantage point.

Manager Wiegman, captain Leah Williamson and goalscorers Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly led the squad on to the stage to raucous cheers.

Asked how she was feeling, Wiegman deadpanned: “Pretty good. Nice that you’re all here, thank you for coming,” while Williamson said: “I think we’ve partied more than we’ve played football in the last 24 hours!”