England captain Bright looks to Terry for inspiration at WWC

BRISBANE, Australia — England captain Millie Bright has said she will draw inspiration from former men’s skipper John Terry as she looks to lead by example when the Lionesses face Nigeria in their Women’s World Cup round of 16 clash on Monday.

England head into the knockout match with a perfect record at this World Cup. Bright has started all three matches at the back for England and has taken on the captaincy in the absence of Leah Williamson.

“Everyone is equal within our team, I think sometimes it’s seen as the captain has to say the orders, it’s not like that at all,” Bright said. “Everyone is their own person and everyone’s got a platform to speak up and we learn from each other, no matter how many caps I’ve got compared to somebody else or the ages.

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“While being the senior player you’ve got more experience to help it’s important that everyone can speak up because we’re all here to learn.”

Bright said her role on the field is to “keep the belief, keep the calmness, and always find a way to win” and she has taken inspiration from the way Terry led England and Chelsea.

“JT [Terry] was a big one for me,” Bright said, when asked which captains she looks up to. “I think the way he carried himself and he always stepped out on the pitch fearless and stepped up. Every team that he’s played in I think he’s done that and he’s led by example, his actions have spoken louder than his words. For me that’s definitely something I believe in as well.

“Off the pitch I think he’s a great human, he’s very caring. I know a lot from a personal level that he’s always given a lot to the women’s team.”

Bright’s build up to the tournament was far from straightforward. She injured her knee on Chelsea duty in March, with her first competitive match since then coming in England’s opener against Haiti. She has played every minute so far in their World Cup campaign, helping England to 1-0 victories over Haiti and Denmark and then their 6-1 demolition of China.

When reflecting on those uncertain months, Bright said her rehab was “brutal” to get her ready for the World Cup.

“I think there was a lot of hype around [the injury] which I tried to keep quiet, just getting my head down and getting what I needed to get done,” she said. “I knew that I’d put myself in a position where I could compete and play 90-minute games in back-to-back games.

“I think that’s my mentality and character, but my rehab was brutal and I was put through my paces to make sure that I could withstand it. It’s part and parcel of the game. I feel great out on the pitch and I’ll rest, recover and repeat.”

In a World Cup of upsets, England will be looking to avoid a scare when they face Nigeria in Brisbane on Monday. Nigeria have a fully fit squad available, including Desire Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala.

“It’s a game where we’ve got to be at our best, just like any other game,” Bright said. “We’ve seen their performances against really good teams and they posed a lot of threats.

“But we also on the flip know ours and I think again, we have to remain focused on ourselves and how we can hurt them. Like I said, it’s always about who’s better prepared, and come that game, executing their gameplan.”