WHEN Chloe Kelly scrambled home England’s winner at Wembley last night, she wasn’t just securing the European Championship trophy, she was creating a moment of footballing history.

England’s women are European champions for the first time, having seen off Germany on a night of high drama. With the eyes of the nation on them, the Lionesses roared. It is not an exaggeration to claim that football in this country might never be the same again.

The women’s game has been ignored and derided for far too long, but the last month has conclusively proved just how far it has come. A generation of young girls do not have to watch men’s football to feel inspired – they have a team of female role models to aspire to emulate.

There are still challenges to overcome, particularly relating to low attendances at domestic women’s matches and a lack of provision for girls and women at grassroots level. But after this evening's triumph, the women’s game never needs to feel inferior.

As Gabby Logan put it so eloquently on the BBC, ‘They think it’s all over? It’s only just begun…”