Absolutely not!’ – Lionesses star Lucy Bronze rules out position change to extend career as Chelsea & England defender stays in her lane

The experienced full-back has operated in the centre of defence before, while ex-England boss Phil Neville experimented with her in midfield at one stage. It was, however, at right-back that she earned a reputation as one of the best in the business – allowing her to finish second in the 2019 Ballon d’Or Feminin vote.

• WHAT LUCY BRONZE SAID

  Bronze is now 32 years of age and back in England at Chelsea after spending two years at Champions League winners Barcelona. Quizzed by The Athletic on whether a positional switch could form part of her future, the Euro 2022 winner said: “Absolutely not. LJ [Lauren James] keeps saying: ‘Oh, don’t ever retire – you can just go to centre-back’, and I was like: ‘No, I don’t think that’s for me’. I played there for a couple of years for England, when Alex Scott was the right-back and we needed a centre-half with pace, so there was me playing left-side centre-back. I can play there. But it’s not what I enjoy. Right-back is the position I love the most in the world.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bronze still has plenty left in the tank and continues to inspire the next generation of talent. She added when asked about changes in the WSL since she left for Catalunya in 2022: “I think the intensity and the physicality has gone even higher. I think that’s something I noticed at Barca, playing against English teams. It was like they’d gone to another level and tactically, the teams are getting better as well, when I compare that to other leagues in the world.

  “Everything’s getting better and people are getting more physical, fitter. It’s fully professional, so that would make sense. But are we still seeing the level of technical and tactical ability improving? Because I think the players who I played with 10 years ago for England like Kelly Smith, Fara Williams, Anita Asante, Rachel Yankey… they would play in these leagues now easily and still be the best players, because they would learn that physicality. So it’s like, OK, we’re getting all these things, but can we improve the players? I think that’s the next thing that’s missing.

  “We need players to be more technical, more tactical, have better game understanding. I think that’s what comes when you’re being coached 24/7, getting coached more from a young age, which maybe my age group didn’t have. But we’re still here competing. I want to see these kids coming in and taking all our spots because they’re head and shoulders above everybody, whereas right now it’s like, we’ve become fitter, more physical, the games are entertaining that way, but I’d like to see more players coming through who have got that technical ability. I think LJ is a good example of technical ability. But are there that many people with the technical ability and the brain as well? Fara Williams, Kelly Smith, they knew everything. Do we have enough players who are like that, obsessed with the game?”

• WHAT NEXT?

  Bronze is hoping to steer reigning WSL champions Chelsea towards more silverware this season, as her own reputation is enhanced, while the summer of 2025 will bring a European Championship title defence with the Lionesses.