British Liones Hero Elatone felt it was fate to have an empty seat next to his mother in the Euro 2025 Finals. The Manchester United midfielder opposed Spain and played 87 minutes before the winning penalty shootout. This was followed by two saves from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, followed by Chloe Kelly netting a winning spot kick.
Tone scored twice in the tournament and also had two assists, playing a major role in retaining the title. During her famous victory four years away, she experienced great challenges.
She tragically lost her father last September. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer the day after his daughter and Lioness defeated Germany to win the Euro 2022.
United’s Women’s Super League (WSL) campaign began just two weeks later, with Tone starting all the games in November before a calf injury. She insists that her father’s death “didn’t actually make him sad” until she was on the sidelines, which forced her to be “mentally right.”
While away from the pitch, she was able to focus on herself physically and mentally, talk to the counselor and spend time with her partner Joe while undergoing rehabilitation in Dubai.
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She returned to the club in typical tone fashion, lighting the WSL with six goals in the first five games, including a hat-trick against Manchester City.
The starring role with England was retained as he played all the games of Euro 2025, including Sunday’s final victory over Spain.
The 25-year-old was doubting that his father had seen him from above in Basel, and took him to Instagram after the match, saying, “We did that for the angels of the sky. We are forever proud of us and forever.”
Toone then shared a photo of an empty chair next to where her mother was sitting inside St. Jakob-Park. The match was said to have sold out, with 34,000 official attendance, but seat 430 remained empty.
“A spare seat next to my mom tonight,” Toone captioned the photo. “If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what. I know you were a father. I love your cock.”
Sunday’s iconic victory proved to be an emotional victory for Tooone and teammate Beth Mead, who shared photos in the dressing room after the Arsenal forward’s mother also passed away in 2023.
She has reposted Tone’s message “We did that for the Angels of the Sky” and has raised awareness about ovarian cancer after her mother’s “long and brave battles” over the past two and a half years.
