Why is Lucy Bronze the Lionesses' golden girl?

0:00Coming up on the Sky News Daily with the final of the Euros this weekend is Lioness Lucy Bronze about to become England's golden idol.

0:11I spoke in a press conference yesterday about what is my why for playing for England. It's giving absolutely everything to the badge, the shirt, to the girls who I play with. I know that that's my responsibility as one of the leaders in the team to make sure that I pick the girls up in tough times. I knew I had to score the penalty. There was no other option. Lucy Bronze, England Lioness, rock-solid right-back, living legend. Well, she certainly is to anyone supporting England against Spain in the final of the Euros this weekend. She, of course, helped the team to the title back in 2022, a prize she added to her.

0:46Let me just get my list. Five Champions League victories, four wins in the Women's Super League, league titles in France and Spain. Oh, and this will be a record-breaking 36th appearance for the Lionesses in a major tournament. So we thought we'd find out just a little bit more about Lucy. And we're better to start than with someone who knows her much, much better than me. Hello, I'm Lucy Bronze's Nan. And some of the things that people don't know about me and her is that I have a cardboard cutout of her in my lounge that I do talk to all the time. but she's such a lovely person. She's kind, she's generous, she's humble.

1:30Thanks Nan. We will have more from her later. We also have a former Lioness giving her take on Lucy's performance on and off the pitch. Well, soon to be at the final of the Women's Euros is our sports presenter, Jackie Beltrout. Jackie, she really is something, isn't she? If you're going to talk about women's footballers, she is probably one of the most successful that has ever lived. I had this conversation with her which is really rude and nosy of me. And I was saying, you know, is it really difficult for a lioness to make a really good living as a footballer, you know, so that when you stop playing football, you don't have to work again, you know, like the blokes.

2:06And she said, yeah, it is for some, you have to be really at the top. You sort of have to be a superstar player to be able to do that and have invested your money wisely along the way. But for a lot of people, it's not possible. You've got to get a job at the end of it. And I said, well, which category are And she went, oh, yeah, it's the superstar player category. And we should bear in mind, I mean, this was this is a girl who made her international debut at 22, which is pretty late. I mean, she's had an illustrious career crammed in over the years that she's been playing. Don't forget that, you know, women's football, as we know it now with the Lionesses and recognising their faces and they've all got endorsements.

2:48You know, it wasn't like that. When Lucy started playing, it wasn't like that. it was much more DIY. When she first started, I do not recall kids wandering around with an England strip with one of the female players. Nowadays, you're bumping into them all the time. So I'm just wondering to what extent she drove the football into the public domain, into the mass consciousness. To a really big extent, actually, because you can see it when you're out there and you're surrounded by all the fans, which is a very different demographic to men's football. There's a lot of dads and daughters and it's clear their daughters obviously play football or there's whole families or there's just bunches of women who are friends.

3:32So many of them have got bronze on the back of their England shirts. So many. She's been around the longest. She's really iconic. She's really easy to spot as well, you know, on the football pitch. And I'm not joking. There are so many blonde ponytails. Sometimes when you're looking down, you're going, oh, which one's Leah Williamson or which one's Beth Mead? They all kind of, from far away, it's hard to tell. But Lucy has got her dark bun, headband. It's a really particular look. And when you look at the way that she plays on the pitch, I mean, she is a defender. How on earth does her right back become so significant and important?

4:11Well, I think because of what she's done in the game, she is respected by everybody. Having chatted to her a few times, she's a really decent person. She's a really likeable person. What you see is what you get all the time. She's very vocal. So, you know, she's shouting things out. She's galvanising, you know, the rest of the team when they seem a bit in the doldrums in a match. And she is always leading by example, by, you know, constantly running. You know, she never really eases off. She never really has a sort of dull, quiet 10 minutes. She's always really on it. And I think that's one of the reasons why she's so well respected within that dressing room.

4:47And the fact she's done everything. She's played for all of the key clubs. Lyon, fantastic leaders in women's football. She's played for them for years, speaks fluent French, went to Barcelona, had a great time there, speaks fluent Spanish. She's kind of done it all. She has been a role model and she has spoken about her own struggles with ADHD and autism. Yeah, and she only was diagnosed in 2021. So it was a late thing for her, although her mum has said to her before that she thought growing up she might be a little bit on the spectrum. But she's really embraced it. She's talked about it. She's an ambassador for the National Autistic Society.

5:27I think it was quite good for her to get that diagnosis, she said, because it explained lots of things about her behaviour that were maybe she didn't quite understand. But it also helps her be a really good footballer because the routine, the training, the repetition over and over and over really helps her cope with her symptoms of ADHD and the autism as well. And the way when I interviewed her, I actually found her quite warm. But she said she hasn't always been able to look people in the eye when she's talking to them. But the sort of the hyper focus, the running, running, running, never feeling tired, all that real energy that she's got, she feels comes from her diagnosis.

6:13Leanne Sanderson is a former Lioness She won 50 caps for the England national team And is of course an ex-teammate of Lucy Bronze's I mean Lucy Bronze is just a fantastic player Played with Lucy for around 10 years for England And I was in the team when she first came into the team I played against Lucy for a number of years When she was at Sunderland And I just think it's her mentality You could see against Italy You could see she was tired right But it was the mind that got her through I mean, we saw her against Sweden strapping her own leg up. That just epitomises Lucy Bronze, that she will not be coming off that pitch.

6:47You know they say, like, you'll have to drag me off the pitch even if I broke my leg. She's one of those players that will run through a brick wall for you. And she's quite a serious character, quite a serious person, but she's also, I enjoyed her. You know, we're very different because I'm quite outgoing, bit of an extrovert, but I always enjoy my conversations with Lucy. She's very, very educated and very smart as well. How would you describe her as a player? I mean, every single thing you need to be one of the best players in the world, she has. The ability, tactically, fitness-wise, she's one of the fittest players on the team.

7:17Even still now, when we do fitness testing, she would always be up there. And I think she's even got better as time's gone on. She's always that player that you'll look back on and think she's one of the best ever fullbacks we've ever had. And I think she's grown into that role as well. And she's not a bad loser. She's one of those people that, you know, you can say, oh, I hate losing, but there's a respect as well. You know, and I think Lucy's the type of player that if you beat her, which doesn't happen very often in a 1v1, she'll hold her hands up and say, fair play. How is she at major tournaments like that when she's not on the pitch, when she's not at the training ground?

7:48Is she just constantly focused on the football? I'd say she's quite quiet. I'd say quite introvert. And that's OK. I mean, in a changing room, you know, myself and Jill Scott were the dancers. We'd actually say to our teammates, like, this makes us ready for the game. And we said to them, are you OK with us doing all this? Because some players prefer to be quiet. Some players have got their headphones in. Everyone prepares differently. And they said, you know what? When you and Jill dance, it sets us at ease because you guys don't look flustered. You don't look nervous. And it used to calm them down.

8:15So I think Bronzy was one of those players and is one of those players that she's quite quiet. Young players can approach her. They can speak to her. I know Lauren James has spoke a lot about how Lucy Bronze has taken her under her wing. And people let their football do the talking. And I think Lucy does that. You know, Lucy doesn't walk into a room and is the loudest person in the room, but she doesn't have to be. There has been over the years, something of a bit of ageism when it comes to women's football. You hit 30 and ultimately, a lot of people, that is the point at which the career ends.

8:41She has done so much, hasn't she, for countering the idea that women's professional careers need to be that short. It's more of a European problem because in America, some of their players play, you know, till they're 38 years old. And that's the reality. But I think in Europe, it happens in men's football as well. But I do think in women's football, we used to have to also retire for many different things. To have kids, there wasn't support. now players are able to have children and come back and get the support that they need. So I think we'll start to see women's footballers, you know, have a bit more longevity.

9:09Because if it happens in America where players are playing until 37, 38, why is it that in England we're retiring at such a younger age? It makes no sense. We've covered Serena Vigman on the podcast previously and fascinating character herself. I mean, what is the relationship between the two of them like? Oh, you know what? I can't speak true to like their relationship, but I can speak about Serena Vigman and how she communicates with the players. and I think her relationship she has, you know, we know in Dutch culture they're quite blunt and I like that and they're direct and that's something that kind of some players don't welcome.

9:37I would have loved Serena Wiegmann to be my manager and coach because she sets the team up, she lays down the foundations and she allows them to also take responsibility. I do think Serena Wiegmann, the fact that she's made five finals every single tournament she's coached at with the Netherlands and England, it's just incredible and at times she does look shell-shocked, she looks startled but I do believe, I'm a big believer in laying down the foundations so that when the players come to the games, it's like they've already been there. It's almost like visualisation. You do so much work off the pitch with England.

10:05People don't see that. You might see the players training on the media days, but you don't see what goes off the pitch, like the psychology behind it, the meetings they would have had about penalties. We used to practice penalties every day. And I would argue as well that there is far more to Lucy Bronze than simply being a fantastic footballer. I mean, obviously she is. You watch her on the pitch. the popularity that she has she has brought people to the sport and I don't think that should be underestimated No it shouldn't and I think someone like Lucy Bronze would also hate the fact that she's the centre of attention It's her name on the back of those shirts that they sell you know It is, it is and I think that's a great thing because usually it's the centre forward you know I think Lucy Bronze you know four or five years ago people wouldn't be able to see her as visible as they are now because all people look at is who scored the goals no one cares in Europe about the assists really in America they do because they announce every time there's an assist they announce it over the big sound system in England.

10:58It's like our games wasn't on TV. We had one game a year on television. So I love the fact that these TV companies are picking up the rights to the women's game because it's no coincidence. The timing of the Lioness is winning and it continued to rise with the visibility of the games being on TV because then young girls, young boys and kids can look and say, I want to be Lucy Bronze. I want to be Beth Mead. I want to be Chloe Kelly. Whereas previously, when I was growing up, I would look at the Williams sisters and think, I want to be like them. Really? And they were playing tennis. but they were role models to me What do you think her legacy will be for the women's game in general but specifically for the Lionesses?

11:31I think the best ever fullback we've had I don't think she strikes me as somebody that will be in media because she's the type of person that doesn't really like talking and that type of thing which is fine but I do think they need to keep Lucy Bronze in and around to be a role model to the youngsters speaking engagements in schools I just think she leads by example in an incredible way Well let's bring Jackie Beltran back in Jackie what do you think Lucy's lasting impact on the game will ultimately be? A really big part of it is that she has gone, she has straddled two eras of women's football and she has been magnificent in both of them.

12:05When it was less well-known, when it was slightly sneered upon, when you made less money from it, when people didn't want you to endorse their products and all of that. She has gone through all of that period being a really good professional and really fantastic at what she does and helping to put women's football on the map. But I tell you what's interesting about this match on Sunday. She's very secretive about her private life, Lucy. I mean, she talks about her nieces and nephews. That's about it. And she's a very good auntie by all accounts. And she talks about her dog, Nala. She absolutely loves that Westie.

12:39But she's really good friends with Ona Baty from Barcelona, but also the Spanish national side. And when they lost the World Cup to the Spanish, there was a really nice picture of them both. Lucy's crying on the bench only, but he is comforting her. They are really good friends. That's a very interesting dynamic, I think, when they play on Sunday, to be able to sort of cut your friend's head, even if it's going to break her heart, to do what you need to do. But that's Lucy Bronze, I guess. Do you think they can do it? Go on, Jackie. Prediction, scoreline, what's going to happen come Sunday? Before the Germany game, I predicted that Spain would win 2-1 just because they've been head and shoulders above everybody else and the way they've gone about their matches, how they've won so easily.

13:25Although the scoreline was only 1-0, they just seemed superior to England. If England have a plan and they've watched that video of the Germany match and they know how to keep them quiet, and I think they will have done that, I think they've got a really good chance. And they also beat them in a friendly earlier this year as well at Wembley. I don't know. They've had an extra day's rest as well. Jackie, are England going to win? Shall I change my mind and say, yeah, 1-0? There we go. There we go. I will keep my fingers crossed that you're correct. Jackie Beltran, always a pleasure. Thanks again.

13:58Thanks to Jackie and Leanne. To finish off, though, let's hand it back to Lucy's nan. And what made Lucy so good at the game? She loved being outside with the football from the age of three, two or three year old. She was always kicking a football. and that was all she wanted to do all the time. So there was never any wanting to have fancy gear or fancy things or fancy this, that or the other. She was just a nice, simple, ordinary girl that liked to play football. But that was her passion and she stuck with it all her life. An ordinary girl, now one of England's greatest. And did you know you can now watch our Friday profiles on the Sky News YouTube channel.

14:46The Sky News Daily is back on Monday. I might whisper it. Come on, England.