‘I’ve given all I can’: Chelsea’s Millie Bright announces retirement with immediate effect

Millie Bright has announced her contiguous retirement, ending a trophy-laden profession during which she won 8 Women’s Super League titles and six Women’s FA Cups pinch Chelsea.

The defender, who retired from world shot successful 2025, besides helped England triumph nan 2022 European Championship connected location soil, and successful 2023 – successful nan absence of nan injured skipper Leah Williamson – led nan broadside to nan World Cup final. She won 88 caps.

Bright has been Chelsea’s nine skipper since nan commencement of nan 2023-24 play and a halfway portion of their squad since joining successful 2014. She helped Chelsea triumph each awesome women’s trophy successful nan club’s history. They lifted their first awesome silverware successful 2015, sparking a decade of home dominance.

Bright played 314 times for Chelsea and helped them assistance 20 trophies. She is sidelined pinch an ankle wounded sustained successful February and has retired successful beforehand of nan last 2 WSL matches and May’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City.

Chelsea described Bright arsenic a nine fable and said they would honour her profession earlier their last WSL game, against Manchester United astatine Stamford Bridge connected 16 May. “Congratulations and bully luck, Millie,” they said. “We will beryllium everlastingly grateful for your contribution, and we cognize you are ne'er done astatine Chelsea.”

The 32-year-old will enactment astatine Chelsea successful 2 off-pitch roles, arsenic a trustee of their instauration and successful a caller domiciled arsenic an ambassador.

Bright, who began her profession astatine Doncaster Rovers Belles, making her debut successful 2009, said: “Representing Chelsea complete nan past 12 years has been everything to maine but I’m now fresh to opportunity goodbye to playing football. I’ve fixed each I tin and I ne'er wanted to conflict for immoderate different badge. It is now clip and I’m fresh to spell into a caller era. I’m ever going to beryllium Chelsea but conscionable successful a different way.”