Millie Bright will captain England at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Photo: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield
If war breaks out tomorrow, Millie Bright will be the first person I set up. I would have no doubts, I would like her to be in my platoon. I wouldn't have any worries, I wouldn't cover my back because she will lead in so many ways and I know she can be an excellent leader for England in this Women's World Cup.
I've known Millie for nine years and now she's the most medal winning player in my dressing room. She has been with the club for every major trophy the Chelsea women have won and that is something she can be very proud of. I've been traveling with her for a long period of time and Millie will be in my life far beyond football — there's no doubt about that.
I know she's famous for her dancing on TikTok — 1.4 million likes and that number keeps growing — but on the training ground, the Millie we see is someone who pushes the standards every day.
You can always count on her. As her manager, you just know that in the most important games, she can handle pressure, she can handle expectations, she can be a vocal leader, she organizes people on the pitch, and she will lead the team to stay in the game, mentally, in decisive moments. It is priceless for a coach to have such a person on the field.
I have watched her grow as a person and I admire the way she absorbs information and learns on the training ground. She can accept criticism; you can hit her on the chin and she'll probably say something like, «Okay, I'll get better.»
When I think of the 21-year-old who signed me from Doncaster Rovers Belles in December 2014, I realize that she used to be a centre-forward, was quite clumsy and uncomfortable with the ball. Her growth was remarkable and it was due to her hard work. She is currently driving from centre-backs, she can hit the ball from the left and right diagonally, she can play short, she wants the ball to be under pressure and she has become a better ball handler. She's also hard to play defensively.
Bright shares a joke with his England teammates during pre-tournament practice in Brisbane. Photo: PA/Zac Goodwin
Don't forget, we all know she has unmatched air presence, but she can also make it difficult for attackers to turn. In terms of speed, Milly may not seem the fastest at one or two yards, but at longer distances, she can really top speed over longer stretches, and she doesn't slouch.
Until she suffered a knee injury in the Women's Champions League away against French champions Lyon in March, I think she has been in shape all her life. She had the best year of her career. The level of consistency in her game can be unmatched on my team. I think Sam Kerr and she are probably the most consistent performers in the last two years, in game and in game, and that's saying something.
And while Millie may not have had an armband at Chelsea because Magdalena Eriksson wore it, Millie has been in many ways one of the club's leaders and I think it's the same in England. She may not have had an armband when Leah Williamson wore her, but she is one of the leaders and I am proud that she received the armband at the tournament this summer because for what she brings to the group, she deserves this honor in Leah's absence.
At our training ground in Cobham, she is the first to arrive in the morning and usually the last to leave. But it has become even more impressive since she was injured — this characterizes Millie, perhaps, best of all, because it's all about her standards.
She did not miss a single team match during the injury
The typical routine for an injured player is that he may go downstairs and give treatment, or he may come at different times to completely healthy players. But not Millie. She came to every meeting. She was not required to be there two hours before the treatment, but she was there every morning, never missed a single one.
She came to these meetings to make sure that if there were any problems, she would always be there for the team. She doesn't want anyone to say that she puts herself first. Does she only think about what the team needs?
So I thought it was very significant that at the time of her injury, even though the World Cup was coming up, and even though it was a time when she could easily fade into the background, and even though she knew she wouldn't be playing for us for the rest of the season, she still made sure to be at every team meeting.
She's the kind of person who works so hard on herself to be in the best place to perform, and trust me, not everyone will dedicate that much time to making sure she's absolutely ready at every level. succeed. She is the best professional ever.
I had no doubt that she would recover from this injury by the World Cup thanks to the tireless work she put in to get back on the field.
Bright and Rachel Daly The captain is known for her loyalty to her teammates. Photo: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield
On top of all that, Millie does a lot of important work behind the scenes with some of the younger players. For example, she did a great job with Lauren James. It's about how she will listen to them, educate them, invite the players for coffee and contact any of the players if they are in a crisis and support them. She was a big influence on English girls.
She also has a really kind, caring and empathetic side. She is a brilliant sister, middle child with her sisters, and she is a giver, caring. And I know she will make a great captain for her country Below.
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