South Yorkshire-made Millie Bright was always highly thought of during her spell at Doncaster Rovers Belles, when the club was at its peak.
England starlet and Chelsea defender Millie Bright has announced her withdrawal from the Lionesses squad ahead of the Nations League.
The 31-year-old is set to undertake an extended period of recovery amid fitness concerns, leading to her taking the tough decision to pull the plug on her immediate England plans.
Whilst Bright is nearing the swan song of her glittering career, it is worth reflecting on what she has achieved – all of which was expected after the glimmering report she was handed by South Yorkshire’s very own Doncaster Rovers Belles.
Bright came through the Belles set-up, moving there after a stint at Killamarsh Dynamos, where she was expected to reach the very top. Even Sheila Edmunds, former club president of the Belles, once predicted the heights she would reach, and it is safe to say she has done just that.
What former Doncaster Rovers Belles club president Sheila Edmunds once said about Millie Bright
Back in 2023, Doncaster Rovers Belles club president Sheila Edmunds gave insight into Bright’s time in DN4.
Per The Independent, Edmunds said: “It’s been fantastic to watch her progress.
“You could see right from the beginning the quality that she had.
“She was a strong individual, she was very committed and hardworking.”
The ‘quality’ that Bright has shown has led to her notching an impeccable 88 appearances for England since 2016.
An update as Millie Bright withdraws from the England squad ahead of their games against Portugal and Spain. 🔽
— (C)helsea FC Women 🏆🏆🏆 (@ChelseaFCW) May 26, 2025
Millie Bright deserves to go down as a South Yorkshire legend
There is no doubt that South Yorkshire has a large contingent of fantastic footballing talent, many of whom have emerged from Doncaster Rovers Belles during their golden years.
After what she has achieved in her career, Bright will undoubtedly go down as one of the greats to emerge from the area.
Eight WSL wins, six FA Cup trophies and a European Championship to her name – there is very little that Bright has not won for Chelsea and the Lionesses, but it should never be forgotten where she emerged from, and that is the grassroots game in South Yorkshire.
