“She’s never fed up of football,” Sonia Bompastor tells Sky Sports, when asked about Millie Bright’s incredible longevity. “Every day seems like the first day.”
The Chelsea centre-back became the Women’s Super League’s leading appearance maker on Sunday as Chelsea drew at Liverpool, surpassing Jordan Nobbs’ long-standing total — 211 and counting. Bright already held the WSL records for most starts (199) and most wins (142), plaudits that place her high among the game’s all-time greats.
Bright is one of a small group of female players who can genuinely be called a legend. Acknowledging the 32-year-old’s decade-long contribution to Chelsea and England leads naturally to that conclusion. She occupies a unique place in English football history: along with the late Bobby Moore, she is one of only two individuals to captain England in a senior World Cup final. Before that, she played a leading role as a staple of the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 triumph, helping transform how success is defined on the international stage.
England are no longer a near-miss nation — a rebranding achieved by players like Bright who made it their mission to elevate standards. Her role at Chelsea tells a similar story: a rags-to-riches arc built on consistent service. Bright has been involved in every major title the Blues have won, including all eight WSL championships. If it’s in Stamford Bridge’s trophy cabinet, it’s in her personal collection. Domestically, there is nothing she has not won.
Bompastor, herself a serial achiever, admires Bright’s commitment. “She’s been part of this club for so long, she’s part of the base and its foundations. Football for her is everything, and I think she gives everything for football.” Former boss Emma Hayes, mastermind of seven of Chelsea’s eight WSL titles, calls her “super human” and “like an iron lady.”
Bright has been the match-winner on multiple occasions. Chelsea resurfaced a video of her long-range strike in the 2020 Women’s FA Community Shield, a reminder of her early days as a young striker for Doncaster Belles. She has never been shy about blending those roots with the profile of a modern defender. England fans remember Sarina Wiegman deploying Bright as a makeshift centre-forward in the memorable win over Germany, where she scored the decisive goal — a tactic used again in later matches.
When Bright announced her international retirement earlier this year, Wiegman called her an “England legend” and a “true leader,” saying, “I know she has so much more to give the game.” On the pitch, Bright’s presence remains pronounced: this season she leads Chelsea in clearances, interceptions and duels won, and Bompastor views her as the team’s standard-setter. “It’s lovely to work with someone who has this mentality,” the coach says.
Many saw Bright’s international retirement as pragmatic rather than self-indulgent. She knew her limits and opted to pass the torch to the next generation of centre-halves. England, brimming with young talent, proved this summer that the aura Bright helped create does not rest solely on its founding members — the Lionesses were crowned European winners again, preserving Bright’s legacy.
Public opinion can be fickle, but time should reconcile and honour her contribution to one of the biggest shifts the women’s game has experienced. Bright has also been an advocate for greater parity within the sport, and she is exploring new avenues off the pitch, including a podcast venture with former England team-mate Rachel Daly. She has stories to tell and appears open to broader media and industry roles; a book seems possible down the line.
Chelsea’s record-breaking 34-game unbeaten run coinciding with Bright becoming the WSL’s leading appearance maker provided a poetic backdrop to the milestone. A Champions League medal remains the one major omission from a near-complete haul, but completing such a set would be fitting for someone who already embodies sustained service and success — and, in Bompastor’s words, will never tire of playing football.