Millie Bright announces immediate retirement from football

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 “mentally and physically at her limit”.

Bright was Telegraph Sport’s Player of the Year during Chelsea’s 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 women’s football’s greatest defenders but there is a feeling that her retirement has come at the right time for both her and Chelsea.

How retirement unfolded

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 – 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 Bright’s 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 Lionesses’ 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 Bright’s 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 “playing injured” 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 club’s 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.

Relationship with Chelsea fans

With 20 trophies in 12 years, there is no doubt Bright is a Chelsea legend. As the club’s record appearance holder, she has been an incredible servant.

But Bright’s 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 Earps’s explosive book.

Earps heavily criticised Hampton in the book, claiming she had been dropped from the England squad in 2022 due to “bad behaviour”.

Bright and Daly refused to comment on the situation but drew ire for describing the saga as “gossip”.

Daly said: “Everyone is going to want us to touch on the Hannah and Mary saga,” before Bright interjected: “We’ve seen your tweets, we know you want us to have a gossip.”

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 James’s 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.

What’s next?

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: “Millie has played such a big role in the growth of the women’s 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.

“It 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.

“Winning 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.”

Bright retires a Chelsea and England legend and has undoubtedly left the women’s game in a better place than what she found it.

Try full access to The Telegraph free today. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus useful tools and expert guides for your money, health and holidays.