“CHELSEA captain Millie Bright has a Blue-print for success in the League Cup final. The Blues’ longest-serving player, 31, knows all about pushing herself to the limit in pursuit of prizes. 4 Millie Bright and her team-mates hope to emerge victorious from their League Cup final clash with Manchester City Credit: Reuters 4 The Cityzens”, — write: www.thesun.co.uk
The Blues’ longest-serving player, 31, knows all about pushing herself to the limit in pursuit of prizes.
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Millie Bright and her team-mates hope to emerge victorious from their League Cup final clash with Manchester CityCredit: Reuters
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The Cityzens are aiming to lift their first trophy this term under interim boss Nick CushingCredit: Getty
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Blues captain Bright says the adrenalin rush of winning trophies makes her want to do it all over againCredit: GettyShe has plenty of those – with another in her sights as Chelsea face Manchester City today in this year’s Women’s League Cup decider.
And she says whoever is willing to put their body on the line will triumph.
Bright knows what she is talking about, with 13 trophies in her 12 years at the club, as well as winning the 2022 Euros with England.
To date the tenacious player, who joined the Blues from Doncaster Rovers Belles 12 years, ago has won six domestic cup competitions.
She hopes to make it seven when Chelsea battle the Cityzens at 12:15pm at Pride Park, 33 miles away from the Derbyshire town of Chesterfield where she was born.
The WSL star said: “Games like these are about who is best prepared, who’s willing to do everything to win and put their body on the line.
“A Chelsea-City final is something that everyone always wants to see.
“It’s always a great game coming up against them, but ultimately we want to win.
“We want to lift that trophy, but we have to put in the work.”
Hard graft is what Chelsea will need to produce across 12 days during their next four games.
Every time you lift a trophy it gives you that hunger to just do it all over again. You never want to experience any other feeling.Millie Bright
Aside from today’s showdown these include two season-defining duels with Man City in the Champions League quarters and a Women’s Super League tussle.
Facing a fierce rival four times in a row is something of an oddity for Bright.
The Blues captain adds: “I don’t think has ever happened before.
“But our mentality is always to just go game-by-game. Everyone’s just excited for the final.”
With the WSL leaders unbeaten this term, and City picking up some mixed results, Bright and team-mates will fancy their chances of ending a recent run of three League Cup final losses.
Their last triumph occurred in March 2021 when they trounced Bristol City 6-0 at Vicarage Road.
Bright is one of the six players left in her team who were part of that League Cup-winning side then managed by Emma Hayes.
The first time she ever triumphed in a cup final was ten years ago against Notts County
A goal scored by former Blue Ji So-Yun sealed Chelsea’s first ever FA Cup triumph.
But after 13 trophy wins with Blues, Bright admits memories of this first are becoming a little blurry.
The England ace said: “All those firsts are a bit of a blur now because everything was such a shock and a hit in the face, like a new experience.
“I have to think really hard about what they felt like.
“But instantly it’s that adrenaline rush of ‘this is amazing, I want to do it all over again’.
“And then you actually want to get straight back out on the pitch and compete for the next potential trophy.
“Every time you lift a trophy, it gives you that hunger to just do it all over again.
“You never want to experience any other feeling.”
Today’s game comes nine days after Bright signed a new contract with Chelsea which runs until next summer with the option to extend for a further year.
On March 12 her team-mate Erin Cuthbert also penned a new deal with the Blues which expires in the summer of 2027.
Both players are thriving in a post-Hayes era with head coach Sonia Bompastor so far steering the team on an unbeaten run across all competitions.
Of Cuthbert’s impact Bright said: “Everyone knows what Erin means to this club and to this team. Her energy is infectious.
“She’s a massive part with her mentality, her drive and quality on the ball.
“We saw that the other night (against Leicester) she comes on and slots one in the bottom corner nice and composed.”
Bright and Cuthbert are among the Blues stalwarts thriving under boss Bompastor
So far the France-born former Lyon manager has steered her side on an unbeaten run across all competitions.
What Bright values most is her manager’s willingness to allow her players to express themselves.
Bright adds: “Sonia is good at that and tells us to enjoy every single minute that we play because we should.
“She really gives us that confidence to express ourselves.
“And if we make mistakes then fine. We’ve got each other’s backs, we’ll figure it out and we’ll work together.
“Sonia’s really really good at giving that confidence, but if I can help the players in any way, they know I’ve got an open door policy.
“They can come to me for literally anything. You need support on the pitch or a shoulder to cry on – I’ll do it.”
On the day Bright signed her new contract her mum Nicola and her dad Steve joined her at Stamford Bridge.
She feels her family have played a huge part in the “blood, sweat and tears” of a career that has yielded much success.
Bright adds: “Your family and your supporters – they’re the ones that are there every single week, travelling all around the world to support you.
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Chelsea’s last League Cup triumph was back in 2021 when they beat Bristol CityCredit: Getty“That’s how I’ve always seen it and that’s why I want to do so well and win.
“The blood, sweat and tears you put into it – it’s all for that success and those moments with your loved ones and your team-mates lifting trophies.
“I don’t think there’s any other moment that will compare to that.”
The Subway Women’s League Cup final can be watched live from 12:15pm today on BBC One.