Para Lionesses captain Sam Gough readies for Euros with guide dog Helga
England women's blind football captain Sam Gough enters the 2026 IBSA European Championship in Istanbul buoyed by a new partnership with guide dog Helga.
Sam Gough, captain of England's women's blind football side, is preparing to lead her team into the 2026 IBSA Women's Blind Football European Championship, which begins in Istanbul on Saturday, according to Guardian Football.
Gough, described by the Guardian as one of the best strikers in the world, trains at Poltonhall Sports Complex in Bonnyrigg, where she was seen putting in work ahead of the tournament.
Central to her preparation is her partnership with Helga, a three-year-old black labrador who has worked as her guide dog since last year.
During a visit to the training ground, Helga's attention was momentarily caught by a pigeon just outside the changing rooms, with her ears, tongue and tail betraying her urge to give chase.
She resisted, staying true to her task, according to Guardian Football's account of the session.
Gough has said the arrangement with Helga has been liberating, giving her greater confidence in her everyday life away from football as she builds towards a major tournament.
Guide Dogs, the charity behind the partnership, is being supported this year by Postcode Lottery players, whose contributions are helping fund life-changing pairings such as Gough and Helga's.
The story featured as part of the Guardian's Moving the Goalposts newsletter on women's football, which is sent to subscribers every Tuesday and Thursday.
England's Para Lionesses now turn their focus fully to Istanbul, where Gough will captain the side as the European Championship gets under way this weekend.