Asked to comment on Millie Bright’s amazing longevity, Sonia Bonpastor told Sky Sports: “She never got tired of football.” “Every day is like the first day.”
The centre-back became the WSL’s main fixture as Chelsea drew with Liverpool on Sunday, surpassing Jordan Nobbs’ long-standing total of 211 goals, and his tally continues to rise.
Bright already holds the titles for most starts (199) and most wins (142) in the competition, an accolade that ensured her name appears high on the list of the game’s all-time greats.
Bright is one of the few female players who can claim a legendary identity purely through effort. Recognizing the 32-year-old’s contributions to both Chelsea and England over the past decade, one would naturally come to this conclusion. Bright holds a unique place in the history of English football.
Millie Bright shares the trophy lift with Leah Williamson as England win Euro 2022 on home soil
She and the late Bobby Moore are the only two people to have captained England in a senior World Cup final. Prior to that, she was a mainstay of the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 success, during which she played a leading role in transforming how the country defines success on the international stage.
England is no longer a near-miss nation. This is a rebrand accomplished by people like Bright who have made it their personal mission to raise standards.
Her role in Chelsea is likewise another penniless-to-riches style story through ten years of consistent service. Bright has been involved in every major title the Blues have won to date, including all eight WSL Championships. If it’s in the trophy cabinet at Stamford Bridge, it’s also in the defender’s personal collection. There is nothing in the country that she hasn’t won.
Millie Bright is always present under Sonia Bonpastor
A serial achiever himself, Bonpastor highly praises this trait. “She’s been part of this club for a long time and is part of its foundation and foundation. I think football is everything to her and she gives everything for it.”
Former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes, who was behind seven of Chelsea’s eight WSL titles, calls her a “superhuman”. “She’s like the Iron Lady,” Hayes told Sky Sports this week. Step aside Maggie Thatcher.
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Emma Hayes praises Millie Bright on Pitch to Pod and explains why she’s such a special player
Bright has been the protagonist of this work many times. Earlier this week, chelseafc.com republished the video of her long-range stunner in the 2020 Women’s FA Community Shield, which harkens back to her days as a young striker for Doncaster Belles. Bright has never shied away from blending his soccer roots with the profile of a modern defender.
England fans know that well. Coach Sarina Wiegmann’s decision to use Bright as a temporary center forward in the historic victory over Germany will be remembered for a long time, as he scored the winning goal in their first win against their arch-rivals on home soil. It was a tactic employed many times thereafter.
Wigman’s choice of words when Bright announced his international retirement earlier this year summed it up aptly. She called the former captain an “England legend” and “a true leader”, concluding: “I know she still has a lot to contribute to the game.”
Sarina Wigman speaks fondly of Millie Bright’s management during her time with England
On the pitch, her presence has never been more felt. Perhaps it’s no surprise that she continues to be Chelsea’s main defensive unit, making more clearances, interceptions and winning more duels than any other player this season. For Bompastor, she is a standard setter. “It’s great to work with someone who thinks like this,” she says.
Even Chelsea’s longest-serving player knows his limits. Many thought her international retirement earlier this year was self-indulgent. Perhaps more simply, it was practical. Even if the timing of the announcement was a bit off, the decision to pass the torch to the next generation of centre-halves proved to be the right one.
Filled with young talent, England proved this summer that the aura of invincibility that Bright helped to legitimize does not come and go with founding members. The Lionesses won Europe anyway. Bright’s legacy is preserved.
Of course, public goodwill in this regard is fickle, but over time, she will be recognized and celebrated for her contribution to the biggest change women’s athletics has ever seen. And she continues to be an advocate for greater levels of parity within the sport.
From her new podcast venture with former England teammate Rachel Daly, it’s clear she’s keen to explore what opportunities the industry can offer one of this country’s most decorated players. She certainly has a story to tell.
Perhaps a book will be published at some point, but it might be wise to be careful if it contains revelations about backstage drama, as Mary Earps did. Especially Bright’s style.
The fact that Chelsea broke the WSL’s longest unbeaten run (34 games) on the same day they became a key player is a poetic combination. The only thing missing is a Champions League medal.
Completing the box set this year, or in future years, would be fitting for someone who already represents great service and success, and who, in Bonpastor’s words, never tires of playing soccer.
