KATHRYN BATTE: Mille Bright is the best and obvious choice for England captain at the World Cup… she’s a serious and determined leader that adds spark to Sarina Wiegman’s glory-seeking side
- Millie Bright was named England captain in place of the injured Leah Williamson
- The 29-year-old will lead the Lionesses out for their opening game against Haiti
- Bright didn’t know she was captain until being told at Friday’s press conference
Sarina Wiegman had just been asked who would captain England in the absence of the injured Leah Williamson. Everybody knew, surely, that the answer was obvious?
‘Millie (Bright),’ Wiegman replied. Of course, so what did Bright say when she found out? ‘Oh, I haven’t told her yet.’
Bright heard the news at the same time as everyone else but Wiegman was not wrong, the answer was obvious.
Bright is the perfect leader for this group and Wiegman will be relieved she is fit to start on Saturday after battling back from a knee injury.
Bright is serious, strong, determined and resilient on the pitch, she will bully attackers, win duels and can be thrown up front if England need a goal.
Millie Bright will lead England out at the Women’s World Cup after being named captain for the tournament
Bright (right) will take on the armband in the absence of the injured Leah Williamson
Bright (left) was only told she was captain by Sarina Wiegman (right) in Friday’s pre-match press conference
But Bright also enjoys a laugh with team-mates, including vice-captain Mary Earps. You need only look at the pair’s TikTok channels to see there is a fun side to the captain.
‘She leads with her voice and in action as well. She is very vocal,’ says forward Bethany England. ‘That is important as you need someone who won’t shy away in big moments. She’s quiet in her own way (off the pitch).’
England and Bright have played together since childhood, coming through the ranks at Sheffield United before moving on to Doncaster and then Chelsea. So England, now at Tottenham, knows all about being on the receiving end of a Bright tackle. ‘As a player she is a force to be reckoned with. I have been on the end of many Millie Bright clatterings!
‘Most strikers would probably fear coming up against her because of the brute force she puts through you.’
From suffering pneumonia and severe asthma as a child to overcoming career-threatening injuries, Bright’s journey to the top has been far from smooth. But her determination has got her here, as her former Doncaster manager John Buckley explains.
‘She’s one of the strongest characters you will meet,’ he says. ‘Nothing would scare her. I can see why she would be a captain. It won’t faze her, it’s not how she thinks. She is a proper competitor.’
Bright is perhaps one of those players not fully appreciated until they are missing. She sustained a knee injury in March and had surgery a month later. With fellow defender Williamson already out, England were desperate for their defensive rock to be fit for the World Cup.
Bright demands high standards but there is no ego. ‘For me nothing changes, I stay the same,’ Bright said on being given the armband. ‘I’d like to think people see the same Millie every day. I always lead, that’s natural to me.’
Source: Read Full Article
