Rosso salutes Rochdale Lioness Keira Walsh with very own bus

Rosso bus driver Vicky Worrall with the specially named bus in honour of England’s European Championship-winning Lioness Keira Walsh, who was born and grew up in Rochdale

She’s an England cup-winning legend who brought football home… and now Rochdale-born Keira Walsh’s very own Rosso bus is on the road in her home town.

Bus operator Rosso has named one of its buses after Keira in honour of her amazing success at Euro 2022, which saw her jubilant team lift the European Women’s Championship Trophy and she was named Player of the Match in the final.

Now the gleaming bus proudly bearing Keira’s name will be seen regularly in the town where she was born and grew up in service with Rosso on local routes in and around Rochdale.

Rosso Operations Manager Phil Harris said: “Keira and the England team’s stunning performance throughout the Euro 2022 tournament has captivated the whole nation, and nowhere more so than right here in Rochdale.

“Naming one of our buses after Keira is our way of saying thank you for her amazing success which has brought football home. Keira is a fantastic role model for young sportswomen in Rochdale and around the world and naming a bus in her honour is all about celebrating her amazing achievements.

“Keira and the England Women’s team have brought football home, and now we’re bringing our bus named in honour of this amazing star home to Rosso where it’ll now be seen across Rochdale.”

25-year-old Keira was born and brought up in Rochdale, attending Haslingden High School and Bacup and Rossendale Grammar School as a teenager. Keira began playing football with Pearson Juniors in her home town before being signed by Blackburn Rovers, and progressing to join her family’s favourite club, Manchester City, in 2014.

It was a pass from Keira that set up England’s first goal scored by Ella Toone in last Sunday’s Euro 2022 Wembley final, and as the match ended in an historic victory for England, Keira was named Player of the Match.

Keira’s named bus is the second Rosso vehicle to be named in honour of a sports personality: in July of last year, a Rosso bus on its Bury Bolts town network was named after England right-back Kieran Trippier, as the men’s team reached their first major football tournament final in 55 years.