Leadership is one of the most underrated aspects of a winning football club and the Chelsea Women have that in spades. With superstars like Lucy Bronze and Guro Reiten leading the way the Blues also have a fiery captain leading the way in Millie Bright and they announced a contract extension earlier this week.
Bright signed a one year extension until the summer of 2026 with an option for additional year if player and club agree. She has been at the club since 2014 after starting her senior career with the Doncaster Belles in 2009. Her impact was felt immediately as she was named Chelsea Players’ Player of the Year in her first season with the club.
Since then she has made 165 appearances for Chelsea Women in the heart of the defense and has an astonishing trophy cabinet that is bursting at the seams. In her 10 years with the club prior to the current season, she has collected 8 WSL titles, 4 FA Women’s Cups, 2 Women’s League Cups, and even a Community Shield for good measure. In addition to her trophies, Bright was handed the captain's armband after the 2022-23 season and has no plans of giving that up anytime soon.
Her successes have carried over to international football as well as she played a vital role in England’s triumph at the 2022 UEFA European Women's Football Championship. She played the same role in central defense for the Lionesses as she does for Chelsea and marshalled a defense that gave up just 2 goals in 6 matches.
Bright’s brilliance has been a constant at Chelsea for over a decade now and she has helped usher in a new era with young stars like Lauren James and Catarina Macario leading the way. The Chelsea women have been a hallmark of excellence during her long tenure and they understand the importance of veteran leadership to a winning side.
Bright still has some of her best football ahead of her and she is the perfect player to bridge the Chelsea Women in a new era under manager Sonia Bompastor. She is well on her way to adding even more titles to her resume and we hope she continues to do so in 2026 and beyond.