Millie Bright: Chelsea defender named club captain ahead of new Women's Super League season
Millie Bright has made 245 appearances for Chelsea, winning 15 trophies including six WSL titles, and takes on the role after the departure of Magdalena Eriksson; watch Bright's first game as captain on Sunday as Chelsea take on Tottenham, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 5.30pm
Friday 29 September 2023 20:49, UK
Millie Bright has been named as Chelsea's new captain ahead of the start of the Women's Super League season.
Bright has made 245 appearances for Chelsea, winning 15 trophies including six WSL titles, and takes on the role after the departure of former skipper Magdalena Eriksson.
"It's a massive honour to have the title of club captain," she said. "Chelsea is my home. It always has been and always will be, so I'm delighted to have that title, but nothing changes. I'm in a really privileged position.
"I'm excited and delighted Emma [Hayes] has given me the trust and put me in this position. It's an absolute honour to be captain of Chelsea, and I'm really looking forward to the season ahead."
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Chelsea boss Emma Hayes added: "I would like to congratulate Millie on becoming our new captain. I've watched her grow as a player and a person in the nine years we've worked together and she's ready for this.
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"The biggest compliment I can pay her is that you can always count on her. However big the challenge, whatever the occasion, she can cope with the pressure and the expectation.
"Even without the armband, she's been a leader for so many years. I'm not just talking about the example she sets, but she's vocal, she'll organise people on the pitch and she'll drive the team on, whether we're pushing for goals or seeing a game out.
"I can't tell you how important it is for a manager to have someone like that on the pitch."
Bright suffered an injury back in March which ruled her out for the remainder of Chelsea's double-winning 2022/23 campaign, but the 30-year-old returned to captain England at this summer's World Cup, where the Lionesses reached the final but lost out to Spain.
Bright's achievements for club and country have seen her named among the 30 nominees for the Women's Ballon d'Or award, with the winner announced in October.
Her first game as Chelsea's new captain is on Sunday against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge, live on Sky Sports, with kick-off at 5.30pm.
Bright: Chelsea want to be world leaders in different areas
Ahead of the new season, Bright sat down with Sky Sports pundit Izzy Christiansen to discuss the summer's World Cup and the upcoming campaign with Chelsea.
The new Blues captain has ambitious aims for the club too, and explains what she is expecting this season as well as why she wants Chelsea to be at the forefront of change in women's football.
"I want to win - I always want to win," she said. "I want us to show a different side to us. I want us to grow as a team and I also want us to be world leaders off the pitch in different areas where I think we can step up and be better.
"And ultimately, just make amazing memories. We're blessed to be in the position we're in and winning is hard so you have to have each other's backs every single day. If we can do that and enjoy it in the toughest moments then we'll make some good memories.
"I'd love for us to transfer the atmosphere we have at Kingsmeadow to the Bridge, where we'll be playing more games.
"With the performances and trophies that we've won, I'd like us to display that at Stamford Bridge, be a dominant force and be a place where people hate coming. I think they feel that at Kingsmeadow and we always want to increase the numbers in crowds in the women's game.
"It's also about the next generation and getting the club where it needs to be so the next ones coming through don't have to fight so hard for things.
"Personally, I want to be a dominant force, to keep being reliable in not just half a game, but every single game. It's something I always want to be throughout my career, and to be needed by my team. I want to be present every single day. I'd like to think my teammates would say I'm open and very warm and if they need me, I'm there for them."
'World Cup will hurt for a while, but I'm proud'
Before she was named as Chelsea's new captain, Bright led England at the summer's World Cup as stand-in skipper for the injured Leah Williamson.
The Lionesses reached the final in Australia and New Zealand, but were beaten by Spain - an event which Bright says will hurt for some time yet.
"It's been a whirlwind," she told Sky Sports' Christiansen. "It's always hard in those moments, the summer is such a long time, we've been away from family for so long.
"You get back and it's over in a flash. I think that's the hardest thing with tournaments, there's so many emotions and it's so intense, you keep yourself in the bubble for so many weeks and then you get back and the bubble is burst.
"It seems a long time ago now and reflecting on what an amazing journey and amazing experience. There's always heartbreak of course, it will take a long time to get over being so close, but just the small margins coming between two teams are the hard ones to take. But super proud of the summer we had.
"With the captaincy, I really had to put that to one side. I'm a player that with or without the armband, I'll always be the same. It's something I've always based myself off and I would never want that to change who I am, how I perform or how I apply myself every single day.
"On reflection, it was a huge moment in my career and a really proud moment to lead the girls out at a World Cup and get all the way to the final."
How to follow the WSL on Sky Sports' digital platforms
Follow all the latest from the Women's Super League across SkySports.com and app, including exclusive features and interviews, plus dedicated live blog coverage and in-game clips from matches live on Sky Sports.
You can also watch free match highlights from every WSL game this season on Sky Sports' digital platforms and YouTube channel, while all games will continue to be shown on Sky Sports Football.
Alongside coverage and visibility for the league across all Sky Sports' main social media channels, the bespoke Twitter channel @SkySportsWSL will continue to be the home of all Barclays FA WSL content on Sky Sports.
The Sky Sports WSL TikTok account gives fans 360° coverage of the league and granting them exclusive access to their new favourite players. Through fun challenges and interviews, along with behind-the-scenes footage, viewers will get to know the WSL's array of personalities and see the sport from a new set of angles.
Meanwhile, fans can also keep up to date with everything on and off the pitch with the return of 'Three Players and a Podcast', hosted by Caroline Barker.
