Chelsea captain Millie Bright announces retirement from football

By Adegboyega Adeleye

Chelsea women’s captain and former England international Millie Bright has retired from football with immediate effect.

The 32-year-old made 294 appearances for the Blues after joining from Doncaster Belles in 2015 and also won 88 caps for England over nine years. She had announced her international retirement back in 2025 and has now made the decision to end her playing career altogether, saying she is “ready to say goodbye to football”.

The defender won eight Women’s Super League titles with the Blues, including six in a row between 2020 and 2025, as well as six FA Cups and four League Cups.

However, the defender has been absent through injury for some weeks, and with only two games left of the season, she has decided now is the time to end her career.

“Representing Chelsea over the last 12 years has been everything to me, but I’m now ready to say goodbye to playing football,” said Bright.

“I’ve given all I can, and I never wanted to fight for any other badge.

“It is now time, and I’m ready to go into a new era. I’m always going to be Chelsea, but just in a different way.”

Bright began her time at Chelsea in 2015 and went on to break the Women’s Super League all-time appearance record, originally set by Jordan Nobbs.

She is also Chelsea’s record appearance maker (314), scoring 19 times. Across a 12-year stay in west London as the club’s longest-serving player, Bright won a total of 20 trophies.

She was instrumental in the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 victory, starting all six matches as they claimed a first major trophy.

Chelsea have confirmed that she will remain involved with the club as an ambassador and trustee of the foundation.