There was a time when a World Cup knockout game against Nigeria seemed a long, long way away for Millie Bright. After picking up a knee injury in March she faced a gruelling race against time to be fit for the tournament – and only just made it.
“The running was brutal,” says the England captain, looking back on the months leading up to the World Cup, when she was not able to play a single competitive match. The centre-back’s only minutes of game time since the injury against Lyon had been an unknown number of minutes in a behind-closed-doors pre-tournament friendly with Canada and there was genuine concern she may not be ready for England’s opener against Haiti.
