Millie Bright: Chelsea and England defender says fans need reminding players ‘own ourselves’ and are ‘not items’

Bright described her encounter with a fan as “hugely disappointing” when insults were directed at her following Chelsea’s 1-0 win at Aston Villa this month.

Reflecting on the incident, Bright said she was “glad” it happened to her and not a younger team-mate.

“I was really taken aback and disappointed. That was the biggest thing,” said Bright.

“I wasn’t actually bothered about the opinion of my performance, it was more the fact I had gone to the fans to give my time. To then be disrespected afterwards immediately, I just thought ‘I’m here off my own back’.

“I slept on it and it was on my mind all night. Comments like that can really affect you.”

Bright says she has “heard of a couple of situations” regarding other players facing similar experiences but they “did not feel strong enough to speak out”.

“Ultimately, I wanted to protect my team and let them know that if they need to speak out, they have a right to,” added Bright.

“You don’t deserve to be disrespected. We do our part and pay our respects to the fans. I think sometimes it’s a two-way street.

“It’s important and I feel it’s something that’s creeping into the women’s game. It’s a gentle reminder. It was a really disappointing thing to come across.”