Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has described club captain Millie Bright as a "legend" following the announcement she is retiring from football.
Bompastor has spent two seasons with Bright, enjoying huge success in 2025 as together they led Chelsea to an unbeaten domestic treble.
Having started every Women's Super League game last season, Bright has been out since February with an ankle injury and on Wednesday called time on her stellar career.
The 32-year-old made 294 appearances for the Blues after joining from Doncaster Belles in 2015 and also won 88 caps for England.
"A legend is retiring. Millie has done everything for Chelsea. She has been Chelsea through and through," said Bompastor.
"You don't see that many players stay at a club for more than a decade like she has. She was the main leader for this team for so many years.
"She is an incredible player and has done a lot for the women's game in England. I hope everyone understands that she will be missed, for sure, on the pitch.
"Playing without Millie has a cost and we knew that. I'm really sad actually because I think a player like Millie should be able to retire playing minutes. She's given everything and is a real hero."
Speaking to BBC Sport about her retirement, Bright said she was "at peace" with the decision.
She described the last two years of her life as “the most challenging” due to abuse she has received online.
"On the pitch, she was not always fit to perform and play. Even when it was the case, she would always put the team first," added Bompastor.
"The abuse was just too much. She doesn't deserve that at all. Everyone should be thinking about celebrating her and recognising how good she was as a player, as a person and everything she brought to the game in England."
