When Lucy Bronze walks out to face the Czech Republic in Brighton tonight, she will hit a major milestone in her career. 100 England caps. She joins an elite club of internationals to represent their country over 100 times and will join the likes of Steph Houghton, Rachel Yankey and record-holder Fara Williams.
But few, even Bronze herself, thought she would make it to this landmark after injuries spoiled the opening years of her career. The right-back suffered four knee injuries and had serious surgery at 18-years-old, but it is still an issue she suffers with to this day.
Yet instead of succumbing to those problems, Bronze has asserted herself as a key figure in the England squad. Ask anybody to name a Lioness, and her name will be near the top of the list. She’s become a role model, an icon, and this summer, a European Championship winner.
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But before the summer success and Sarina Wiegman, Bronze was still sensational. England needed a hero to lead this team forward. At the 2019 World Cup in Canada, having established herself as one of the finest players on the planet, she shot herself to superstardom with a thumping long-range strike in England’s quarter-final win.
It was a moment that made the nation stand up and take note. The Lionesses heartbreakingly lost in the semi-finals to Japan, but Bronze had made herself a star name. She’d go on to finish second in the Ballon d’Or in 2019, and England quickly came to treasure one of the finest players in the world.
The Lionesses have several superstars now, but the first of the current crop was an unassuming right-back with a relentless engine and thumping shot. She may only be 30, but she has paved the way for those that have followed. Wiegman has taken England onto new heights, but she always knew she had a world class talent to rely upon.
Despite the praise, and the landmark occasion, Bronze in her own way, just isn’t that bothered. “I guess I'm not that sentimental,” she said in the pre-match press conference, sat next to her manager.
"It is obviously a huge achievement, but again I think it is like any achievement I've had in my career, and I'll look back on when I'm retired and think, 'Oh, that was amazing'," said the 30-year-old.
"Once I've got 100, I'll want 101, 102 and just keeping going. It'll be a nice occasion and a nice landmark to have hit, but it's not something that when I started playing for England I had that goal of 100 caps.
"To have made it is pretty incredible, I think I am the first and only one from my generation so that is pretty special for me.”
This might be special for Bronze, but she has been special for her country. 100 caps is the landmark of a legend, and next summer she could add a World Cup to the European Championship that has crowned her international career.
