UFL odds, picks: Week 6 best bets from top expert for Dallas vs. D.C., Birmingham vs. Orlando and more
Check out the best bets for UFL Week 6, including key matchups!
Millie Bright has announced her immediate retirement from football at the age of 32. The Chelsea captain leaves behind a legacy of 314 appearances and 20 trophies over her 12-year career.
Millie Bright was a leader for England and Chelsea - Naomi Baker/Getty Images
Chelsea captain Millie Bright has announced her immediate retirement from football.
Bright made 314 appearances over a 12-year career at Chelsea, which included 20 trophies. She is the clubâs longest-serving player and holds the clubâs all-time appearance record.
The 32-year-oldâs decision comes after she retired from international football in October.
Bright was one of the key members of Englandâs win at Euro 2022 on home soil and went on to captain the Lionesses during their run to the World Cup final in 2023.
Bright played a vital role in Englandâs win at Euro 2022 on home soil - Lynne Cameron/Getty Images
She will remain with Chelsea in a club ambassador role and as a trustee of their foundation.
Bright said: âRepresenting Chelsea over the last 12 years has been everything to me, but Iâm now ready to say goodbye to playing football. Iâve given all I can, and I never wanted to fight for any other badge.
âIt is now time, and Iâm ready to go into a new era. Iâm always going to be Chelsea, but just in a different way.â
Millie Bright announced her retirement from football following her earlier retirement from international play in October.
Millie Bright made 314 appearances for Chelsea, winning 20 trophies and becoming the club's longest-serving player.
Millie Bright is 32 years old at the time of her retirement from football.
As a leader for England, Millie Bright contributed significantly to the team's success during her international career.
Check out the best bets for UFL Week 6, including key matchups!
Analyzing Hits and Misses from the 2026 NFL Draft

Prominent Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Melquizael Galvao arrested for sexual abuse allegations.


See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
Bright won 20 trophies with Chelsea - Eddie Keogh/Getty Images
Telegraph Sport understands this is a decision Bright has been considering since the start of the year. It has not been an easy 12 months for the defender, who ruled herself out of Euro 2025 because she said she was âmentally and physically at her limitâ.
Bright was Telegraph Sportâs Player of the Year during Chelseaâs unbeaten 2024-2025 domestic campaign but there has been an undeniable drop-off in the last year.
She has also come under fire from Chelsea fans in recent months over her podcast Daly Brightness, which she co-hosts with her former England team-mate Rachel Daly.
Bright will be remembered as one of womenâs footballâs greatest defenders but there is a feeling that her retirement has come at the right time for both her and Chelsea.
Bright was at the top of her game for much of last season as Chelsea won a domestic treble without losing a match. She struggled during both legs of their Champions League semi-final defeat against Barcelona â but so did the rest of her team-mates.
Bright (right) and Chelsea were outclassed by Barcelona - Mike Egerton/PA
One key game that may have started the domino effect leading to Brightâs retirement came in April 2025. England played Belgium away from home in the Nations League and found themselves 3-0 down inside 29 minutes. There were many poor performances that night but the Lionessesâ lack of pace down the left-hand side was exposed and Bright was one of two players substituted at half-time.
It is understood Sarina Wiegman decided Bright may no longer be one of her first-choice centre-back partners for Leah Williamson. That proved to be Brightâs last game in an England shirt, after she decided not to go to the Euros before retiring in October.
Bright underwent minor surgery in the summer and there is no doubt an accumulation of injuries over the years has taken its toll. In her retirement video, Bright said she had been âplaying injuredâ for the last six years.
She lost her place in the Chelsea team for a period at the end of last year but responded well and came back into the side due to injuries to Nathalie Bjorn and Naomi Girma. But Bright suffered an ankle injury against Tottenham on February 8 and has not played since.
There has been a lot of change at Chelsea in the last two years. Bright was incredibly close with former manager Emma Hayes, who signed her from Doncaster in 2014.
Bright has had a positive relationship with Sonia Bompastor but the departure of Paul Green, who served as the clubâs general manager for 13 years, is believed to have been a factor in retirement. Bright, who will turn 33 in August, was out of contract at the end of the season, though Chelsea held an option to extend her deal by a year. Bright, who has insisted she would not want to play for any other club, decided to take her future into her own hands.
With 20 trophies in 12 years, there is no doubt Bright is a Chelsea legend. As the clubâs record appearance holder, she has been an incredible servant.
But Brightâs relationship with Chelsea fans has become difficult in the last six months. She was criticised when she did not defend team-mate Hannah Hampton during the fallout from Mary Earpsâs explosive book.
Earps heavily criticised Hampton in the book, claiming she had been dropped from the England squad in 2022 due to âbad behaviourâ.
Bright and Daly refused to comment on the situation but drew ire for describing the saga as âgossipâ.
Daly said: âEveryone is going to want us to touch on the Hannah and Mary saga,â before Bright interjected: âWeâve seen your tweets, we know you want us to have a gossip.â
More recently, the podcast was forced into an apology after using an image of Lauren James being sent off to promote an episode.
Decision to use the picture of Lauren James standing on Michelle Alozie was criticised by fans - The Rest is Football: Daly Brightness
Fans were heavily critical of the decision to use that picture, given James is still regularly subjected to racist abuse because of it. Most of their anger was directed towards Bright, given she is Jamesâs Chelsea team-mate and was England captain during that World Cup.
The production company said neither Bright or Daly were responsible for the thumbnail but some believed Bright should have acknowledged the fallout.
Social media is not always a good measuring stick of fan opinion and it would be surprising if the reaction is anything but positive when Bright is given her Chelsea send-off on the last game of the season.
She is, after all, their most decorated player.
Bright will remain with Chelsea in an ambassadorial role as well as become a trustee of their foundation.
She has always been passionate about charity work and will no doubt thrive in a role where she can make a difference.
Her retirement may also ease the scrutiny around her podcast, given much of the criticism has centred around her still being an active player.
Bright could also follow some of her former team-mates into a career in media and would no doubt be a valuable pundit should the Lionesses secure qualification for the 2027 World Cup.
She is set to be recognised at a future England game and Wiegman paid tribute to her former captain, saying: âMillie has played such a big role in the growth of the womenâs game, with both England and Chelsea, and she has achieved so much along the way. What she has given to her club and country is incredible.
âIt is hard to put into words the impact she has had. She has inspired so many people, pushed standards and shown girls and boys what can be achieved in the sport.
âWinning Euro 2022 and captaining England to the World Cup Final in Australia says so much about her, but it is not just about the trophies with club and country. She has also earned great respect through the way she has committed herself to the game.â
Bright retires a Chelsea and England legend and has undoubtedly left the womenâs game in a better place than what she found it.