MADDIE HINCH

SAVED ALL FOUR PENALTIES IN THE SHOOTOUT

‘I’ll never forget day two after getting back — it was so mad. It started on the Tube. I sat down and the guy next to me was reading the paper and there was a massive picture of my face in the middle of the page. He saw me and then did this double take, like in a cartoon. He asked, “Is this you?” and suddenly the whole carriage was looking. ‘It got weirder. I went for lunch that day and was having fish and chips and my phone flashes up a tweet from someone saying, “So surreal watching Maddie Hinch eat fish and chips”. I was like, “Oh my god, what is happening in my life?” Later I went to the toilet in a pub and someone had written on the back of the cubicle door, “Maddie Hinch is a hero”. That pub had shown the game and I’m there reading about myself on a toilet door. That’s not normally what you want! ‘For me, the party was a bit short as 10 days after getting back I was leaving for a new club in Holland. Well, that was awkward. ‘Six of my team-mates in Holland played against me in that final. We are very good friends and I have mentioned the gold once or twice but I got put in my place when someone pointed out they all have two. That’s a pretty good comeback. My medal lives in a sock in my drawer. The problem is it is looking a bit worn and it has some Sharpie pen on it from a kid on a school visit. The kid ran off with it for 20 minutes and it came back with Sharpie all over it!’