Bright leaves England camp due to mental and physical burnout

England defender Millie Bright has said she withdrew from the squad due to reaching her mental and physical limits.

It was announced on Monday by the Football Association (FA) that Bright had left the squad and was taking “an extended period of recovery”, with Lotte Wubben-Moy called up as her replacement.

Bright played in 21 of Chelsea’s 22 Women’s Super League matches in 2024-25, with only Hannah Hampton (1,980) playing more minutes than the defender (1,823) in the squad.

Across all competitions, she made 36 appearances for the Blues this season as they claimed a domestic treble.

Sarina Wiegman’s side face Portugal and Spain in the Women’s Nations League in the coming week, and have a friendly against Jamaica late in June, before the defence of their Euros title starts on July 5, when they face France.

Speaking on her podcast ‘Daly Brightness’, which she co-hosts with former England team-mate Rachel Daly, Bright spoke about the reasons for her withdrawal.

Bright said: “I think, mentally and physically, I’m at my limits, which is why I’m not at camp.

“It only makes this team better by having players who have had a lot of success.”@_JessCarter speaking on the winning mentality of the squad in camp pic.twitter.com/PpTGKs8YQB

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) May 27, 2025

“That is a really hard decision, but I think you know better than anyone as well – sometimes you just have to take that time for yourself.

“You need to value yourself and your mental health and body, and just say that no, right now is not the time for you.”

England, who are also without Mary Earps after the goalkeeper’s shock retirement on Tuesday, play Portugal on May 30 and Spain on June 3.

The Lionesses are currently second in Group A3, two points behind Spain after four games.