Millie Bright is more than just a footballer to Sheffield's inspired young women and girls
Millie Bright is retiring having inspired a generation of young footballers in Sheffield
In July 2022, thousands of Sheffielders packed onto Devonshire Green to watch a football match on a big screen.
Children and indeed people of all ages walked around in the sunshine, wearing shirts with their favourite player’s name emblazoned across the back.
Not so out-of-the-ordinary for a football-mad city such as this but instead of ‘Bannan’ or ‘Basham’ or ‘Windass’ or ‘Sharp’, the name read ‘Bright’.
Millie Bright, proud daughter of Killamarsh, had given those young girls a name to cherish, to look up to and be inspired by.
That day, England won the European Championships at Wembley, having a few days previous booked their place in the final with victory in a packed-out Bramall Lane where Bright was visably emotional as walked around a stadium filled with so many people she knew and grew up with.
You could tell how much that meant to her, to achieve that feat back ‘home’.
And that day on Devonshire Green you could tell how much it meant to those girls who looked up on the big screen to see one of their own, front and centre in the celebrations for the Lionesses’ historic triumph over Germany.
Millie was showing there was a pathway through from grassroots football and onto the biggest stage for girls who wanted it.
She had shown that with talent, hard work and determination, women’s names could be written into Sheffield’s illustrious football heritage.
But more than that, girls were given a hero. A sporting hero to admire and be proud of.
Trophy after trophy on the biggest stages were picked up by Bright while at Chelsea but she never forget where she came from and everyone who was at Wembley or on Devonshire Green in July 2022 won’t forget her either.
Millie’s retirement will bring an end to a career filled with ups and downs and a sackful of medals but through all of that, her biggest achievement will be the doors she opened to young women in our region.
There’s only one Millie Bright, but hopefully Sheffield and our surrounding towns have many more like her coming through to bring more days like that one on the Green.