OFF THE RECORD WITH LUCY BRONZE

Published: 08/07/2025, Words by: Alex Courbat | Photography by: Adam Horton

A European Champion, Champions League winner, and one of the most decorated defenders in the women’s game – Lucy Bronze is one of the greatest football players this country has ever produced. And now her eyes are set on taking England to new heights at the Women’s Euros in Switzerland this summer. We caught up with Lucy to chat about her journey, how far the game has come and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.

Lucy Bronze’s love for football started in her parent’s garden, kicking a ball around. "I started playing just because my brother played," Lucy says, reflecting on those early memories. "We just played in the garden with him and his friends. I just loved sport, loved being outside." She had no idea how far this game would take her.

When she was 17, Lucy flew across the pond to join a university in the US. That’s when she realised this was what she wanted to do. "I got to go to college, and I got my boots for free, I got my kit, trained every day. It was the first time I had a taste of that life, and I was like, this is what I want to do."

That taste of professionalism was intoxicating. But back in the UK, professional women’s football simply didn’t exist yet. This made the reality check when she returned home all the more brutal. When Lucy came back home to finish her degree, she had to juggle part-time work at McDonald's, her studies, football training – and even knee surgery – all at the same time. "I didn't make enough money as a semi-professional footballer when the league developed in England," she admits. "But I knew it was just something I wanted to do. Going to uni and working at McDonald's was something I needed to do to make sure I could play football." And so, she did.

Classic Lucy! No drama, no self-pity, just getting on with it, all for the love of the game. "I've never really looked at them as things that stop me," she explains. "I would play football regardless of whatever I got or how much I got paid. I just loved the sport so much. I would have been out there playing with my friends every week if I never made it as a professional."

While Lucy was grafting through those early years, she was also searching for inspiration wherever she could find it. But finding role models wasn’t easy back then. "It was hard because players weren't really on the TV," Lucy recalls. "But when I became a teenager, I started to notice female footballers in England – Kelly Smith, Rachel Yankey, Alex Scott. They were the superstars at the time, and my goal was always to make the England team and play with them."

Those early heroes weren’t just posters on her bedroom wall – they became blueprints for what was possible. Lucy didn’t just want to meet them; she wanted to compete with them, learn from them, and become better than them.

The relationship with Alex Scott proved to be particularly transformative. "She always pushed me," Lucy says, smiling. "It was like, 'you'll not play right back until I retire,' and I would be like, 'I'm going to make you retire.' We were friends, but it was that determination and that challenge that made me better."

At home, Lucy got all the support she needed – it was just not the kind of support you might expect. It wasn’t the kind of support that comes with tactical advice or technical know-how, but with something just as valuable. "Mum and Dad aren't into football," she reveals with a grin. "My mum never had an England T-shirt or any team jersey. She got a T-shirt made that said 'Go, Lucy go.' She was like, 'I'll never tell you the rules. All I'll do is encourage you to do what you think is the right thing.'" No pressure, no promises, only the freedom to enjoy her game fully.

Over the years, Lucy has seen the game go from barely professional to what it is today. So yes, she has witnessed changes that seem almost surreal. "My first ever FA Cup final, we had to raise money ourselves to afford the bus to get to the final," she remembers. "We had to wear our away kit as our warm-up tops because we didn't have money for warm-up tops, whereas now we change warm-up tops depending on the trends." And that’s not all. "Now we get on the bus, and we have a chef in the kitchen at the back. I used to train at eight o'clock at night; now we train in the morning, so we have the afternoon off. I never had a training kit washed." She pauses, smiling. "And now people are like, 'Why have I only got one towel?' There's so many times I tell younger players about what I went through, and they just take it for granted now."

Yes, women’s football has come a long way. But for Lucy, there’s still so much more that can be done. "I think as a player, I would just love to see the fans every single weekend. Obviously, it doesn't help because we don't quite have the infrastructure in terms of stadiums – it's either sharing with a men's stadium or going to a smaller stadium. But I think nowadays, when you have the fans in the stadium, the atmosphere, just the whole day is such an enjoyable experience as a player. It changes everything." She says, before adding, "I think even for fans it is as well. I think that's something that is definitely improving, especially after winning the Euros. When we play for England, we sell out in nearly every stadium – I’d just love to see it not just for the England team but for every national team and for all the club teams as well."

Speaking of England, the shirt still means absolutely everything to Lucy, even now. "It's still so exciting," she says, beaming. "There's always different goals you're trying to achieve. England is the team that you can't change, no matter what. You're fully in it. You bleed English blood. It's the thing I've always wanted to do – play for England, win for England, represent England as many times as possible and make the team as best as I can."

That feeling hasn’t dimmed one bit. "From my first cap to where I'm at now, it's always been there. Even when I retire, I think I'll be like some of the players who have retired – the way they celebrate when we win, the way they will us on. I think I'll always be obsessed with England."

And when you ask her about the legacy she wants to leave behind, Lucy’s thoughts don’t immediately turn to trophies or personal accolades. "A lot of people talk about inspiring the younger generation, and I absolutely love that, but I want to leave a legacy of being determined. Challenging yourself, challenging other people, challenging society, the game, pushing – just being wholehearted in everything you do."

It’s about something bigger than football, really. "I've thrown myself into every challenge that's come my way, gone headfirst into it," Lucy explains. "I think sometimes we forget that it's okay to want to be good and want to challenge yourself. We're allowed to do that and push ourselves. We're allowed to celebrate and want to have success. It's one of the joys of life."

It only makes sense that her advice to young players is to, "make sure you're enjoying it for the right reasons. If you enjoy it, work hard. Push yourself, challenge yourself, challenge the people around you to get the best out of them and out of you. Don't be afraid of that. Live outside your comfort zone, try something new. If you don't like it, it's fine, but go after it. Live for yourself, go for it."

Even if Lucy's story isn’t finished, it’s already clear that whatever she goes on to win, her legacy won’t be defined by trophies alone. It lives in the mindset she’s modelled: that you can want more, demand better, and never apologise for your ambition. Because for Lucy, legacy has always meant one thing – showing others that no matter the challenges or circumstances, if you throw yourself headfirst and wholeheartedly into what you believe in, nothing is impossible.