Millie Bright: England's defensive rock and TikTok star

Millie Bright leads England in the absence of injured Leah Williamson. Photo: Reuters/Carl Recine

When the clock strikes midnight in Sydney, a couple of hours after the women's World Cup final, Millie Bright will be 30 years old. The only present she has her eye on right now is 47 centimeters tall, weighs 4.6 kilograms, and has a sterling silver core covered with a 23 carat white and yellow gold helix, with a soccer ball on top. Women's World Cup trophy.

However, whether or not she raises the prize, her name will already be in the English history books of sports. When the Chelsea defender takes England to the Australia Stadium, she will be the first English player to do so in a Women's World Cup final, and only the second to do so in a World Cup final since the late great Bobbie Moore.

< p>Chesterfield native Bright, vice-captain of last summer's European Championship triumph, was named the tournament's captain after she was ruled out due to a knee injury to Leah Williamson. Now she's pinning the hopes of a nation that will be glued to TV screens on Sunday.

Off the pitch, she's known for throwing fun dances on TikTok, the social media platform where she has more than 275,000 followers. and 1.5 million likes. But this is nothing compared to the glory that will come to her if she leads the Lionesses to glory.

On the pitch, she is known as a team center back with great aerial power, but she actually started her football life as a striker at Doncaster Rovers Belles. When Chelsea signed her in late 2014 at the age of 21, she had spent much of the previous season playing as a midfielder, but Emma Hayes and her assistant Paul Green had other ideas.

Mary Earps teaches Millie Bright and Rachel Daly how to dance on TikTok…with mixed results 💃🤣 pic.twitter.com/UIzmtKX4pl

— Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) 6 July 2022

Thanks to the strength, foresight and ability of Bright, she soon became the best central defender of the London club. Since then, she has been part of every major trophy the Chelsea women have won in their history, and all 14 of those honors have come from Bright's first season with them.

At that point, she still had to achieve England's debut came in an away victory over Belgium in September 2016. Since then, she has made 72 caps and scored five goals for the senior team. But the privilege of leading a team to a World Cup final is undoubtedly her greatest achievement.

However, when asked what it meant to her, Bright replied that she did not want to draw attention to herself. «It's always 'we're ahead of me,'» she said. “This will be the most important moment in “our” career. I always say «our career» and «we» because it's a team.

“It's big, but it's important for the team. Whether I have an armband or not, it's a huge privilege and honor [to play for England]. Nothing individual, but it's clearly a dream come true. To be in the final of the World Cup, but in the lead among the girls. There are no words to describe it, but ultimately it is a team.”

World Cup Final: England vs. Spain

These words sum up Bright's leadership in that she prefers to be in charge of her actions on the pitch. instead of roaring, the passionate rally screams it out.

One player who knows her well from her Chelsea days is England defender Niamh Charles, who said of Bright: “It's best for every leader to be himself. Millie talks a little less [than Williamson] but speaks with her actions. We always want you to not change much when you have an armband. Millie has always been in this group of leaders, you always know that if you reach out to her, she will help you, protect the players and become a liaison with the staff.»

Before the tournament, Bright and her teammates took the unprecedented step of publicly criticizing the lack of a bonus deal with the Football Association. Bright's social media account on behalf of the team. She and her teammates made the decision to postpone these discussions until after the tournament in order to focus on football itself. Now their success on the pitch takes them back to uncharted waters: the first global final.

If Bright is cradling this trophy in her arms when she turns 30, it will be a real birthday party.

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