\n<\/p>\n
A transition period is on the cards at Chelsea with Bompastor set to make her mark in the transfer window as they look to bounce back from a difficult campaign.<\/p>\n
The emergence of young defenders like Veerle Buurman has signalled a natural phasing out on Bright’s part, and other senior players – such as striker Sam Kerr – are also expected to exit. <\/p>\n
While still club captain, Chelsea’s dependence on Bright has waned – she started all of their WSL games last season as they claimed an unbeaten domestic treble but Bompastor has been forced to look elsewhere this year.<\/p>\n
Bright will continue at Chelsea as a club ambassador and as a trustee of Chelsea’s foundation.<\/p>\n
But in recent years the 32-year-old has explored opportunities outside playing, most notably starting the “Daly Brightness” podcast with former England team-mate Rachel Daly.<\/p>\n
They faced backlash in April for using a promo image of Chelsea team-mate Lauren James’ sending off at the 2023 World Cup, prompting an apology from producers.<\/p>\n
Bright also has a presence on social media, first becoming prominent in 2022 when she regularly posted TikTok videos with goalkeeper Mary Earps.<\/p>\n
Following England’s Euro 2022 victory, she became a familiar name among casual viewers and carried the weight of responsibility going into the 2023 World Cup in Leah Williamson’s absence, knowing external expectation had grown tenfold.<\/p>\n
Off the pitch, she became a fierce advocate for mental health support and was among those who played a key part in the Lionesses’ call for equal access for girls football in schools following their Euro 2022 success.<\/p>\n
She was seen as a joker in the dressing room and had a close relationship with former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes, as well as key players Erin Cuthbert, Guro Reiten and Kerr.<\/p>\n
A towering presence on the pitch, who usually came out on top in a one-on-one duel, Bright was often England manager Wiegman’s go-to person, and she even did a job up front on occasions when it was needed – most notably finishing joint-top scorer at the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup in 2022, sharing the Golden Boot award with then-Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas.<\/p>\n
In her prime, Bright was widely regarded as one of Europe’s best centre-backs and was named in the FifPro World XI twice.<\/p>\n
She was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s 2024 New Year Honours for services to football.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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