Lucy Bronze may well retire as England's greatest of all time - and here's why

Lucy Bronze marked her 142nd England cap with a goal and an assist on the same day she celebrated her 34th birthday, as the Lionesses beat Australia 3–0.

Now England’s fourth-most capped player, overtaking Alex Scott in the recent international break, Bronze continues to defy age and injury to remain at the top of women’s football.

With five Champions League titles, four Women’s Super League trophies and two European Championships to her name, here is why she might just be the most iconic Lioness ever to wear the shirt.

Accolades

It is fair to say success follows Lucy Bronze. Few defenders in football history have collected as many medals as her.

Bronze is a five-time UEFA Women’s Champions League winner with Lyon and Barcelona, a four-time WSL champion across Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, and a two-time European champion with England.

Alongside her five Ballon d’Or nominations, Bronze also became the first defender to win both UEFA Women’s Player of the Year (2019) and FIFA Women’s Player of the Year (2020).

On winning FIFA Player of the Year 2020, Bronze said: “I didn’t really think about the awards I was getting, being the first English player or the first defender. It only sunk in more recently. An individual award isn’t going to change my life though - I’d much rather have all of the Champions Leagues and the Euros.”

Just this month, she won England Women’s Player of the Year 2024/25, as voted for by the fans. But it could have all been so different, as Bronze admits she almost chose to represent Portugal at international level, after struggling to get a break with England.

“When I was 16, my parents were asked if I’d like to play for Portugal,” she told FourFourTwo. “I didn’t get picked for England for quite a while, which is surprising to some people. I told my parents, ‘If I get to 22 and still haven’t been picked, I want to play international football’ - although I wanted to play for England, I would’ve been just as honoured to play for Portugal.

“Then I got picked for England four months before my 22nd birthday, because there were four injuries, and I stayed in the squad after that. I probably would’ve played for Portugal if that hadn’t happened."

'Tough by name, tough by nature'

Her full name is Lucia Roberta Tough Bronze and if any player embodies ‘tough’ it is Lucy Bronze. At Euro 2025, she played the entire tournament with a fractured tibia, something she revealed only after England lifted the trophy - with Sarina Wiegman praising her ‘crazy mentality.’

That didn’t stop her from netting the decisive penalty in a shootout, which seemed like it might never end. When Bronze stepped up in that quarter-final against Sweden, few had doubts she would miss.

During that game, she was caught strapping up her own leg on the pitch – an image that became one of the defining moments of the tournament. She even removed the bandage herself before taking that all-important kick.

“Yes, my full name is Lucia Roberta Tough Bronze. My mum was Diane Tough so it’s a family trait - all the women in my family are very… strong-minded, shall we say?” Bronze told FourFourTwo. “My younger sister and I have inherited it: Tough by name, tough by nature. I’ve had to live up to the name!”

From playing with boys on the remote ‘Holy Island’ Lindisfarne, off England’s northeast coast, to lifting European trophies across three countries, her physical and mental toughness has defined her career.

Longevity and experience

Before becoming a global superstar, Bronze began her senior career at Sunderland, balancing football with university studies and part-time work.

By the time she moved to Everton and later Liverpool, she understood the value of hard work and adaptability, traits that would serve her well playing amongst Europe’s elite - later moving to Manchester City, Lyon, Barcelona and Chelsea.

Bronze’s England journey has spanned more than a decade, from her debut in 2013 to the present day. She currently sits fourth on England’s all-time caps list, recently overtaking fellow defender Alex Scott.

1. Fara Williams – 172
2. Jill Scott – 161
3. Karen Carney – 144
4. Lucy Bronze – 142
5. Alex Scott – 140

“I remember doing an interview when I got one of my first caps for England: they asked, ‘What do you want to achieve?’ and the player next to me said, ‘I’d love to play 100 times for England’. I said, ‘I don’t care how many times I play – I just want to win something’,” Bronze once said.

“To have won the Euros and represented my country that many times is incredible and every single game has been enjoyable. Having got picked quite late on, after a lot of injuries, never in a million years did I think I would make it to 100 caps, let alone still be going strong now.”

At 34, she remains one of Chelsea and England’s most reliable starters and shows no sign of slowing down - constantly earning praise from her managers Sarina Wiegman and Sonia Bompastor.

Defining the modern defender

Lucy Bronze reinvented the full-back role, mastering both defence and attack in her 'favourite' right-back position.

“Right-back is my favourite position. I played left-back at first with England, and left-sided centre-back,” she told FourFourTwo. “I quite enjoy centre-back, but I had so much energy and was like, ‘No, you need to get me somewhere else!’ I love right-back. I love defending, and I’ve also got so much energy to get forward.”

Her ability to tackle, drive forward and dictate play from deep are signature parts of her game. Former England manager Phil Neville called her, “the best player in the world, without a shadow of a doubt.”

“That was at the 2019 World Cup,” Bronze later said. “I felt I was playing really well, but to have someone say that gave me even more confidence. At first I thought, ‘Stop saying it – I just want to play football…’ But it’s a huge compliment to have your international manager saying that so freely. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as confident as I did at that World Cup.”

Bronze’s dynamic style has inspired a new generation of English full-backs, proving that defenders can be match-winners, and award winners too.

Legacy

Bronze’s career is already storied, but one trophy remains.

The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil would mark her seventh major international tournament (after the 2015, 2019 and 2023 World Cups and the 2017, 2022 and 2025 European Championships). If England were to reach the final again, Bronze would have appeared in four consecutive major finals.

Whether she finishes her career as England’s most-capped outfield player (30 more to go to beat Fara Williams) or helps to deliver Chelsea’s first Champions League title, her legacy is already secure as England's finest.