England World Cup captain and Chelsea star Millie Bright QUITS football mid-season at 32 and says she ‘can’t physically give more’ after ‘so many people I care about died’

Chelsea and England defender Millie Bright has sent shockwaves through the women’s game by announcing her immediate retirement from football.

In an open letter to the club’s supporters, the 32-year-old explained her decision by saying that she couldn’t ‘physically give any more’ after making 294 appearances for the club, who she joined from Doncaster Belles in 2015.

Bright, who won eight WSL titles during her time at the club, said: ‘I’ve been thinking about my future for a while now. There have been so many factors to consider, but I have decided that I’m ready to say goodbye to playing football. I’m hanging up my boots.

‘I always said I would retire at the top, and that I would retire at this club. I’m living up to what I said. I’m not prepared to fight for any other club or pull on any other shirt.’

Bright’s decision comes only six months after she announced her retirement from England duty. That followed her decision to make herself unavailable for selection for the 2025 Euros – which the Lionesses went onto win – after stating that she was unable to ‘give 100 per cent mentally or physically’ ahead of the tournament.

Millie Bright, pictured with her new influencer barber boyfriend Tom Mitchell at the Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov fight earlier this month, is retiring from football

Chelsea captain Bright is staying at Chelsea in an ambassadorial role but ‘can’t give any more’

Today, she said: ‘I’ve given everything I could on the pitch. I can’t physically give any more.

‘I feel like I need to look after myself now, and I’m ready to give back to the club in a different way. I’ve seen so many people I care about pass away over the last couple of years, and I think I need to learn to live a little and appreciate life a little bit more.’

Bright has been sidelined since February with an ankle injury and has now made the surprising decision to call time on her career with only two games of the league season remaining. Chelsea look set to surrender their stranglehold on the title with Man City six points ahead of them in the table.

Last year Bright said she was ‘absolutely heartbroken’ when former Chelsea and Liverpool Women’s manager Matt Beard died by suicide.

‘He was such a massive figure in the women’s game, his aura, character and presence, you definitely heard him before you saw him,’ Bright said when paying tribute to Beard last year. 

‘That was something I loved about him, he was always so friendly and always had time to check in on you to make sure you are alright, even if you lost.

‘We’ve lost an unbelievable person.’

Bright lifts the Euro 2022 trophy with Leah Williamson after driving England to glory

Derbyshire-born Bright recently went public with her fledgling relationship with new boyfriend and influencer barber Tom Mitchell, who owns a hair salon in Sheffield.

Last June she left fiancé Levi Crew and dated married personal trainer and father-of-seven Dave Zetolofsky before the pair grew apart after moving in together.