Millie Bright led England to the World Cup final and now has her sights set on that elusive European glory as Chelsea's new captain Credit. : Harriet Lander — The FA/Getty Images
She was one victory away from sporting immortality when she led England to the World Cup final as captain, and defeat in Sydney broke Millie Bright's heart.
It also made her hungry. Now, after a week of agony over defeat to Spain before finally appreciating how far England have come in Australia, she has her sights set on making history by lifting another trophy — the Women's Champions League — after being named on Friday Chelsea's new captain. , with the new Women's Super League season upon us.
But it was a quick mental and physical turnaround for the centre-back, just over a month after she flew home on her 30th birthday, the day after World Championship. finale, against the backdrop of a surge of different emotions.
“The first week is really hard, you still have so many different feelings about the final. “Oh, I should have done this differently,” you think, “I could have done that,” and you get into a stage where you go through a period of grief. Then there's the guilt phase where you feel like you could have done a lot better, so you go through all these different stages,” Bright told Telegraph Sport in an exclusive interview.
“It takes about a week to forget about the final. '
“It takes about a week to almost forget about the finale or at least push it into the background. And then, in the second week, you start to really appreciate the medal, the fact that we are second in the world, and this is an incredible achievement. Spain played a fantastic game — sometimes it's just football. So, here comes the stage of real pride in what you have achieved. And then I really wanted to return to Chelsea.
Now back in west London ahead of Tottenham's visit to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Bright describes the honor of being named Chelsea's new captain as «incredible», adding: «I absolutely adore this club, so to be able to have the title of club captain – this is really, very special to me.”
Having captained the Lionesses this summer in the absence of injured Arsenal star Leah Williamson, and with previous experience as England vice-captain, Bright has learned a lot about what it means to be a team figurehead and understands the responsibility come as a captain to speak out on game-changing issues. They have come at a rapid pace in recent months as she and the Lionesses negotiated bonuses with the Football Association, then publicly supported Spain's players following the Luis Rubiales furore and earlier this week raised serious concerns about a congested women's calendar putting players under pressure threat of injury.
Emotional clock. 🥺@Mdawg1Bright's family congratulate her on her appointment as Chelsea captain. 💙 pic.twitter.com/RUw0RZumMF
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) September 29, 2023
“With or without the captaincy, I have the same morals, the same values, and I will always speak up when necessary,” Bright added. “If it's something important, I will always talk about it. Of course, with the armband comes additional responsibilities, and you will likely be more question-oriented and required to respond on behalf of the team. That's part of the game, having difficult conversations — it's about being comfortable with who I am and what I stand for and understanding what needs to change in the women's game. I feel comfortable in such situations.
“When it comes to the women’s game, we will always highlight the issues and things that are potentially holding us back from getting to the next level. It may be different from month to month. Obviously, scheduling is the biggest topic of conversation at the moment. And I think in the future I would like to see that change to benefit not just one club but the entire women's game, both at club and international level. We are the face of the women's game. And we want everything we do to be at the highest level. But, as I said, we can only do this if the schedule suits our interests.»
«I have to deliver the goods every day»
As for her qualities as a captain, Bright hopes she comes across as «genuine, humble and open to communication with her teammates», but adds: «First and foremost for me as a captain, the most important thing is performance — I have to deliver every day.» and that has always been my standard, no matter what. You have to set the tone for the rest of the group and be fair. Being reliable is probably my biggest plus. I've never gone crazy and I'm very lucky to have two brilliant teams in England and Chelsea.»
There's a split-second glimpse of the scene at Chelsea's Cobham training ground as Bright chuckles and pauses in her speech as striker Sam Kerr dances behind her in the background, trying to amuse his new captain. It appears to symbolize the bonds between the reigning champions, who Bright says are a team of animal lovers. Bright herself has three dogs — a French bulldog and two miniature dachshunds — and when asked what she likes to do most in her free time, she replies: “Spending time with loved ones. Time is such a precious thing. With our schedule, that's not something we get a lot of. Walking the dogs and coffee are my two most important things. This is my “Zen” if you will, how I relax and recover. Many girls have dogs. I'd love to spend a dog's day at Chelsea — in fact, I might suggest the idea. It can be a lot of fun!”
However, on the pitch, Chelsea's more serious side was evident in its focus and drive, especially towards the end of the season. Since the WSL switched to a winter calendar in 2018, they have never lost a league game in April or May and are now making a bid for a fifth consecutive domestic league crown. This season, however, Bright knows the European title is what they crave most.
Chelsea kicks off its championship campaign with a fifth consecutive WSL title against Tottenham on Sunday. Photo: Nigel French/PA Wire
“Everyone who comes to Chelsea knows what we stand for and that is winning. The goal this season is the same: to win. This is to raise trophies. Ultimately, the Champions League is what is missing. And it's one that we as a club really, really want to win,» she continued.
«We know how difficult it will be to win any trophy this season because the competition is very, very is high, and the difference between the top and bottom of the league is getting smaller.”
However, trophies, Bright and Chelsea seem to go hand in hand because all the major honors won by the women's club have come since Bright joined the team in 2014 from Doncaster Rovers Belles, so she speaks with enthusiasm : “Chelsea is so important to me because it really created my career. When Emma [Hayes] and Paul [Green] first brought me in they gave me a lot of confidence and I remember being a shock signing that no one expected — no one thought Chelsea would probably ever pick one a player like me. So I have a lot of respect for Emma and Paul for believing in me.
“I value the relationships very much and I think the ones I have created with the club, the staff, for me the players and the fans are the icing on the cake . I always felt at home and firmly believe that a happy player off the field is a brilliant player on it. Being happy has been a key part of my journey. I have learned a lot from Emma, she is not only my manager, but also a friend and mentor. And she helped me get through difficult times that not everyone sees from the outside. Chelsea is more than just football to me.”
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