England captain Millie Bright is drawing inspiration from Chelsea legend John Terry as she tries to lead the Lionesses to World Cup glory.
Sarina Wiegman’s side are into the last 16 of the tournament and will face Nigeria in Brisbane on Monday.
Bright will captain the side for that game and she has done so all World Cup after being given the armband in the absence of the injured Leah Williamson.
And asked about captains she looked up to, Bright said: “JT was a big one for me.
“I think the way he carried himself and he always stepped out on the pitch fearless and stepped up.
“Every team that he’s played in I think he’s done that and he’s led by example, his actions have spoken louder than his words. For me that’s definitely something I believe in as well.
“Off the pitch I think he’s a great human, he’s very caring. I know a lot from a personal level that he’s always given a lot to the women’s team. On the pitch, without a shadow of a doubt.”
Bright had to work hard to get fit for the World Cup after injuring her knee playing for Chelsea in March.
The centre-back was out injured for four months and her first game back was England’s opening group game against Haiti.
Bright has played every minute of the Lionesses matches and has revealed her rehab was “brutal” as she worked to ensure she as fit.
“I think there was a lot of hype around it (Bright’s injury) which I tried to keep quiet, just getting my head down and getting what I needed to get done,” said Bright.
“I knew that I’d put myself in a position where I could compete and play 90 minute games in back-to-back games.
“I think that’s my mentality and character, but my rehab was brutal and I was put through my paces to make sure that I could withstand it.
“The running, the running was brutal...when you have a short space of time it’s just about making sure you get up to speed, and make sure you’re body is in a position that you can actually return to training, and return to games.
“It’s part and parcel of the game. I feel great out on the pitch and I’ll rest, recover and repeat.
“So for me it was about getting that in, and like I said, I’d got an unbelievable medical team behind me that had put me through all the tests that I needed to step out onto the pitch safely and in the right shape to compete.”
