Ella Toone gets the Hollywood treatment! Man Utd and Lionesses star honoured by Wigan Council with playful nod to home of cinema

Toone and Keely Hodgkinson, both prominent athletes from the Wigan area, have been honoured with stars on the Walk of Fame. The announcement, which was made during a council meeting last March ahead of International Women’s Day, has finally seen the light of day.

The concept closely echoes that of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which is a landmark in California, containing 2,777 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars of actors, directors, producers, musicians and others embedded on the pavements of 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street. Toone was seen posing with the star on the hallowed pavement and later took pictures along with friends and family.

The massive black star has a special inscription at the centre of it. It reads: "Ella Toone. Lioness and European Championship Winner."

@ellatoone Instagram

@ellatoone Instagram

In addition to her star on the Walk of Fame, Toone has another legacy in Wigan – a football pitch named in her honour. The Ella Toone Pitch was unveiled as part of a £7.6 million ($9.66m) investment from the Premier League, The FA, and the Government’s Football Foundation. This pitch is one of 23 new facilities named after the Lionesses, celebrating their EURO 2022 victory and encouraging females to participate in football.

Tyldesley-born Ella Toone has been a crucial part of the England women’s national football team. She has been a standout performer for the Lionesses for many years and even scored a pivotal goal in the UEFA Women’s EURO final against Germany, helping her team secure the championship. She will be back in action with England during the next international window in July when Sarina Wiegman's troops will play Ireland and Sweden in their two next UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 qualifying fixtures.