Before every game she plays, Millie Bright’s mum tells her to “dream big”.
It is a motto Bright has stuck to throughout her career, so much so that she designed a tattoo of a dreamcatcher for her left arm.
The 29-year-old has been true to her mum’s words — and on Wednesday evening she flies out to the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand as England captain.
For Bright, there is no bigger dream than captaining her country at a major tournament, and the Chelsea defender, normally so vocal on the pitch, struggles to find the words to describe the honour.
“I’m incredibly proud,” she says. “I feel really grateful to be selected, let alone to be captaining the girls.
“There aren’t enough words. Anyone in my position would say honoured and proud.
“But, for me, nothing changes, I stay the same, I’d like to think people see the same Millie every day, no matter what. I always lead for the team, that’s just natural to me.”
Bright has been promoted from vice-captain after Lionesses skipper Leah Williamson suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Arsenal in April.
That injury came just weeks after Bright herself injured her knee playing for Chelsea. Williamson was ruled out for at least nine months, but Bright has been declared fit to be called up by head coach Sarina Wiegman.
“I was gutted, you don’t want to see any player go through that injury,” says Bright of Williamson, who led the Lionesses to Euros glory last summer.
“We’ve had check-ins to make sure she’s alright. When you go through that, you need a team around you. She’s also checked how I’ve been getting on, we’ve stayed in touch, for sure.
“Straight away I was just in shock that she had suffered such a severe injury. I don’t think the captaincy crossed my mind at all, hand on heart.”
Bright has not played since injuring her knee in March, but the centre-back is confident she will be fit for England’s World Cup opener against Haiti in Brisbane on July 22. She is also confident in her abilities as a leader, even if her style differs from Williamson.
“I’ve always been a big believer that you cannot put captains under the same umbrella, everyone has their different qualities and leads in a different way,” says Bright.
“Leah and I had a really good connection, we learned about each other in how we complimented one another. Everyone has their own way of doing it, that’s the beauty of the game, with so many leaders in the group as it is.
“I expect standards from the group, I see myself as the driver, because I am so competitive, you have to keep pushing to be better year in, year out.”
Both on and off the pitch, Bright is considered one of the most vocal players in the England squad. Younger players view her as like a big sister and someone who will stand up for them when needed.
As the women’s game grows, so does the demand on players. The World Cup this summer is the third consecutive major tournament since 2021. With the Olympics next year and then the Euros in 2025, the schedule looks gruelling and Bright has called for action from the authorities.
“I’ve been doing it for several years, when you’re doing back-to-back tournaments it’s hard,” she says.
We are not robots. We need time to recover, to perform for the fans.
“It doesn’t matter what club you play for or country you represent, we care for the game and the next generation coming through. We don’t want to see the same amount of injuries.
“We are not robots. We need time to recover, to perform for the fans. For our clubs and countries, we want to be at the highest level.”
Many believe this summer’s World Cup will be the most competitive in history. England are among the favourites to go all the way but, even though she loves to “dream big”, Bright is refusing to get carried away.
“We have to keep two feet on the ground and know the challenge ahead will be bigger than at any other tournament,” she says.
“This will be the biggest World Cup so far.”
