15/07/2023, 18:53 Lucy Bronze: 'England's mentality change is 10 years in making' - BBC Sport

Let us know you agree to cookies

We use cookies to give you the best online experience.
Please let us know if you agree to all of these cookies.

Yes, I agree
No, take me to settings

Search
BBC

SPORT All Sport

Women's Football Scores & Fixtures Table Top Scorers

Lucy Bronze: 'England's mentality change is 10 years in

making'
By Emma Sanders
BBC Sport

1 hour ago Women's Football

Lucy Bronze is the only player in England's World Cup squad with more than 100 caps

Lucy Bronze hopes England can go one step further and win the Women's World Cup for
the first time this summer after reaching back-to-back semi-finals.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66087190 1/7
15/07/2023, 18:53 Lucy Bronze: 'England's mentality change is 10 years in making' - BBC Sport

Bronze, 31, has won almost every trophy in her club career and has appeared in five major
tournaments for England including Euro 2022.

"Every World Cup I've played in, we've been so close," said Bronze.

"I've actually never watched a World Cup final because we always get knocked out in the
semi-finals and I just don't like it."

Guide to England's Women's World Cup group

'I learned a lot from 2019 heartache' - Bronze

'We've been working on that for 10 years'

Lucy Bronze scored an iconic winning goal from outside the penalty area in the last 16 against
Norway in 2015

Bronze has been involved with England for a decade and has seen a change in mentality
which she says is not just down to manager Sarina Wiegman's arrival.

The Lionesses went on a 30-game unbeaten run under Wiegman, also winning two Arnold
Clark Cups and the first ever Women's Finalissima.

"A lot of people say 'Sarina changed England' but we've been working on that for 10 years.
We had to go through every milestone for the first time," said Bronze.

"We beat the US, we beat France, we beat Germany, we won a knockout game - for the first
time. We had to go through every single process for the first time.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66087190 2/7
15/07/2023, 18:53 Lucy Bronze: 'England's mentality change is 10 years in making' - BBC Sport

"Obviously the trophy is the main one but there was so many small milestones that we hit
that changed our mentality. England's done most things now."

Bronze believes that she and Keira Walsh, who both joined Barcelona from Manchester City
in 2022, have benefited from the move to Spain - and that is helping them drive standards in
England training.

"My role at Barcelona is different to what it's been in previous teams. Every single player
wants to play with the ball so the responsibility of defending falls a lot more on my head
than it does elsewhere," said Bronze.

"It's given me a different outlook on how to play football. I think Keira is the same - the pair
of us drive a different kind of standard now at England training that has never been there
before.

"It's not the style of play necessarily but the expectation and the kind of the quality you
expect from a team that wins trophies and playing with the best players in the world."

Bronze says the 2015 World Cup was her "Chloe Kelly moment".

While Kelly hit the headlines with an extra-time winner in the Euro 2022 final, Bronze caught
the eye with crucial goals en route to the last four in 2015, claiming the right-back spot from
Alex Scott in the process.

"I got home and there were adverts which had never been there before," said Bronze.

"We had not won a knockout game at a World Cup until 2015. It was a huge moment in my
career - scoring, winning goals and I nailed down the right-back spot.

"As a nation it was a huge shift for women's football and for the team in terms of mentality."

Top Stories
Vondrousova stuns Jabeur to win
Wimbledon title

2h Tennis 1107

Arsenal complete £105m Rice transfer from

West Ham

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66087190 3/7
15/07/2023, 18:53 Lucy Bronze: 'England's mentality change is 10 years in making' - BBC Sport

5h Football 1127

Vingegaard keeps yellow as Rodriguez wins

epic stage

1h Cycling

Elsewhere on the BBC

Backstabbing, U-turns and omnishambles... Could our CCTVs be exploited by China?

Watch all episodes of The Thick of It on BBC From spy balloons to secret police stations,
iPlayer Panorama investigates China’s global
surveillance operation

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66087190 4/7
15/07/2023, 18:53 Lucy Bronze: 'England's mentality change is 10 years in making' - BBC Sport

Barry’s funniest, rudest and most revealing Noel Gallagher's career-defining moments
moments on TV
Alex Jones looks back at the highlights of the The iconic Mancunian musician sits down for a
iconic comedian's career revealing chat with Dermot O'Leary

Also in Sport

Vondrousova 'getting new tattoo' to We've worked on mentality for 10 years -

celebrate Wimbledon win Bronze

'Rice can be Arsenal's new Vieira - but Is he having a giraffe? - Lanky wins
pressure now on Gunners' controversial mascot race

GB's Hewett into final after 'thriller' The 'African king' leading a revolution

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66087190 5/7
15/07/2023, 18:53 Lucy Bronze: 'England's mentality change is 10 years in making' - BBC Sport

Can you name most expensive English Shared meals and sock tributes - a Women's
players? World Cup history

'Sensational' lob & drop-shots - GB's Searle 'Phenomenal' Alcaraz eases past Medvedev
into boys' final to reach final

'Unbelievable quickness' from Jabeur is shot Women's football could become 'billion
of the day pound' industry

Watch: Scotland put three past Northern Jabeur's dream day off? Wimbledon stars
Ireland face Wildcards questions

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66087190 6/7
15/07/2023, 18:53 Lucy Bronze: 'England's mentality change is 10 years in making' - BBC Sport

How 'fiery' Kelly became an England star Torn ears and changed lives at the top of
the world

Explore the BBC

Home News

Sport Weather

iPlayer Sounds

Bitesize CBeebies

CBBC Food

Terms of Use About the BBC

Privacy Policy Cookies

Accessibility Help Parental Guidance

Contact the BBC Make an editorial complaint

BBC emails for you

Copyright © 2023 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to
external linking.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66087190 7/7