Latest news with #Lucy Bronze


Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Doctor gives verdict on England hero Lucy Bronze's claim that she played whole of Lionesses' triumphant Euros with a 'broken leg'
A leading doctor has said it is 'remarkable' Lucy Bronze was able to play throughout Euro 2025 after the defender revealed she had battled through the tournament with a 'fractured tibia'. Bronze was a key member of Sariana Wiegman's victorious team throughout the competition. The 33-year-old right back played 598 minutes at the tournament, the fourth most in the England team, playing in each match. Bronze was substituted in the latter stages of two England group matches, but came through back-to-back 120 minute contests as the Lionesses went to extra-time in the quarters and semi-finals. She was forced off at half-time in extra time during Sunday's final, which ended 1-1 before England beat Spain 3-1 on penalties in Basel. But when asked about the new knee injury she picked up during the game, Bronze disclosed that she had already been playing through far worse. 'I have actually played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia,' she told BBC Sport. 'And then I have hurt my knee on my other leg. 'That's why I got a lot of praise from the girls after the Sweden game, as I've been in a lot of pain. If that's what it takes to play for England, that's what I'll do. Very painful.' While confirming she had a fractured tibia, Bronze has not disclosed the full extent of the problem. Speaking to the BBC, Dr Mark Bowditch, President of the British Orthopaedic Association, said it was 'remarkable' Bronze had played so much at Euro 2025 due to the injury. Bowditch, a consultant knee and sports surgeon, suggested Bronze would likely have been playing with a stress fracture, which would likely have seen pain emerge after matches. 'Fractures of the tibia range from partial break, such as a stress or fatigue split, through to a complete break and separation,' Bowditch said. 'A complete break is the high-energy sudden injury from a fall from a height, twist or direct blow, such as a studs-up tackle. You cannot continue to play on or even walk on a complete break. 'Stress/fatigue fractures - which is likely to be the type Lucy Bronze has - are low-energy repeated injury and usually seen in athletes or army personnel. 'They normally present with pain after activity, rather than a sudden incident.' Bowditch suggested the England medical team would have had to adjust Bronze's training to enable her to remain on the pitch during the competition. 'She probably has had to reduce the amount of training she has done in between games or train in a low weight-bearing environment such as a swimming pool or anti-gravity trainer,' he added. 'It's a great tribute to Dr Ritan Mehta and Lionesses medical team that they have managed to keep Lucy going.' England boss Wiegman admitted they had attempted to manage Bronze's injury while at the tournament. Wiegman had brought off Bronze in the latter stages of group matches against the Netherlands and Wales, where England had held convincing leads to help book their place in the knock-out stage.


The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Tough by name: Mother reveals how Lucy Bronze won Euros despite broken leg
Lucy Bronze's mother has revealed her daughter's sport sciences studies helped her to win the Euros despite playing with a broken leg. And Diane Bronze spoke to BBC Woman's Hour to explain how the full-back ended up with the appropriate middle name of Tough. Speaking from Switzerland, the proud mother talked about how many of Lucy's Lioness teammates and the wider family knew about her fractured tibia. Ms Bronze said: 'We knew all the way through. 'Originally somebody said, 'Well, it can't be a fracture, because you wouldn't be able to stand up'. 'But she said, 'I've got high pain threshold, and I can deal with pain'. 'Obviously, we knew the medics checked it, and they knew what they were doing. 'She did a sports science degree. She reads research papers and she knows about injuries. 'That's how she can keep going. That's why she knew how to tape her own leg.' Asked how she felt about her daughter playing with a fracture – which her mother said happened in June – Ms Bronze laughed: 'It doesn't matter how I feel, it's what she's going to do.' She said Lucy's club Chelsea knew about playing through the fracture, adding: 'The amazing thing is that the medical team all knew about it, we knew about it, I think a lot of the girls knew, and not a whisper got out.' Ms Bronze said her maiden name was Tough, and after marriage she followed the tradition of her husband's Portuguese heritage by keeping it – so her children are all Toughs. She said: 'I'm Diane Tough Bronze. 'When you get married in Portugal, you just add your husband's name. 'You keep your own and add his, so all of my children are Tough Bronzes.' Her mother was sure Lucy will carry on playing football once she has recovered from the tournament, saying: 'I think Sarina (Wiegman) had it right. 'She's going to have to get her off the pitch in a wheelchair.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tough by name: Mother reveals how Lucy Bronze won Euros despite broken leg
Lucy Bronze's mother has revealed her daughter's sport sciences studies helped her to win the Euros despite playing with a broken leg. And Diane Bronze spoke to BBC Woman's Hour to explain how the full-back ended up with the appropriate middle name of Tough. Speaking from Switzerland, the proud mother talked about how many of Lucy's Lioness teammates and the wider family knew about her fractured tibia. Ms Bronze said: 'We knew all the way through. 'Originally somebody said, 'Well, it can't be a fracture, because you wouldn't be able to stand up'. 'But she said, 'I've got high pain threshold, and I can deal with pain'. 'Obviously, we knew the medics checked it, and they knew what they were doing. 'She did a sports science degree. She reads research papers and she knows about injuries. 'That's how she can keep going. That's why she knew how to tape her own leg.' Asked how she felt about her daughter playing with a fracture – which her mother said happened in June – Ms Bronze laughed: 'It doesn't matter how I feel, it's what she's going to do.' She said Lucy's club Chelsea knew about playing through the fracture, adding: 'The amazing thing is that the medical team all knew about it, we knew about it, I think a lot of the girls knew, and not a whisper got out.' Ms Bronze said her maiden name was Tough, and after marriage she followed the tradition of her husband's Portuguese heritage by keeping it – so her children are all Toughs. She said: 'I'm Diane Tough Bronze. 'When you get married in Portugal, you just add your husband's name. 'You keep your own and add his, so all of my children are Tough Bronzes.' Her mother was sure Lucy will carry on playing football once she has recovered from the tournament, saying: 'I think Sarina (Wiegman) had it right. 'She's going to have to get her off the pitch in a wheelchair.'


The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Which England players made it into the Euro 2025 team of the tournament?
Chloe Kelly has been named in Uefa 's Euro 2025 team of the tournament, despite not starting any matches for England. Kelly secured England's back-to-back European Championships by scoring the decisive penalty in the final's shootout against Spain. Her impactful contributions included a 119th-minute winner against Italy and an assist for Alessia Russo 's equaliser in the final. Fellow England players Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, and Alessia Russo also feature in the team of the tournament. Spain, the defeated finalists, similarly have four players in the ultimate XI, alongside representatives from Germany and Italy. Chloe Kelly among four England players in Euro 2025 team of the tournament despite starting zero games
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hampton's bloody nose and nine missed penalties: How ridiculous England v Sweden shootout unfolded
England lived to fight another day at Euro 2025 after surviving a chaotic penalty shoot-out to beat Sweden and reach the semi-finals. After England came from behind to claim a 2-2 draw following extra time, nine of the 14 penalties were missed in an extraordinary decider. The Lionesses were a penalty away from going home on two occasions but Hannah Hampton and Lucy Bronze were the heroes as they progressed. Hannah Hampton celebrates as England reach the Euro 2025 semi-finals (Getty Images) 'I think we're all frustrated in the sense that we had our system, we've practised them every day, we've got our routines, and sometimes it doesn't go to plan,' Beth Mead said. But after emerging through one of the worst penalty shoot-outs in major tournament history, England could still celebrate as they set up a semi-final with Italy. Here's how it all unfolded ✅ England 1-0 Sweden - Alessia Russo scores A confident penalty from England's No 9. That feeling would not last long. 'Penalty shoot-outs, statistically you're more likely to win if you go first, winning the coin toss played into that,' Lucy Bronze said. 'I love maths.' ❌England 1-0 Sweden - Filippa Angeldahl misses With a bloody tissue stuffed up one nostril, Hannah Hampton goes the correct way and saves to her left. 'I don' t really know what happened to be honest, all I remember is going up for that ball and someone has elbowed me I think,' Hampton said after the game. 'I thought I got away with it at first because there was nothing [blood] coming out, then I sat up and it was streaming. But as a few of the girls have said, I'm better with one nostril so maybe I'll have it again in the next game.' ❌England 1-0 Sweden - Lauren James misses It suits James' playing style to have a short run-up but this one didn't come off as she skipped around the ball and shot low. It lacks power and Jennifer Falk saves to her right. ✅England 1-1 Sweden - Julia Zigiotti Olme scores In perhaps the best penalty of the shoot-out, Zigiotti takes out the camera positioned in the top corner - Harry Maguire style. ❌England 1-1 Sweden - Beth Mead misses Falk saves again, and to the same side. The goalkeeper has clearly done her homework and has printed off notes to attach to her water bottle. Mead's penalty was at a good height for the goalkeeper. ❌England 1-1 Sweden - Magdalena Eriksson misses Eriksson strikes the bottom of the post with Hampton beaten. Neither side can claim the advantage after consecutive misses. ❌England 1-1 Sweden - Alex Greenwood misses Falk guesses correctly for the third time in a row and is beginning to look unbeatable in the Sweden goal. ✅England 1-2 Sweden - Nathalie Bjorn scores It's Chelsea vs Chelsea but Bjorn keeps cool to beat her club team-mate. It's match point to Sweden now and they lead for the first time. ✅England 2-2 Sweden - Chloe Kelly scores After scoring winning penalties in shoot-outs against Nigeria and Brazil, it's Kelly's turn to keep England alive from the No 5 spot. Kelly grins as she stands over the spot, does her trademark run-up by lifting up her left leg, skipping, and burying the penalty into the corner. 'She made me laugh and then we both laughed at each other, it wasn't like a disrespect we just laughed at each other. In those moments there's a lot of pressure but I felt that and she just made me laugh.' Later asked what was going through her head , Kelly replied: 'I was bursting for a wee.' ❌England 2-2 Sweden - Jennifer Falk misses Sweden still have the chance to win it but there's an audible gasp in the stadium as goalkeeper Falk steps up to take Sweden's fifth penalty. 'I was more panicking that we didn't have any data on her or where she was going,' Hampton later explained. 'So I was like oh my goodness this is down to me. I was a bit surprised.' After making three saves, can Falk score in a battle of goalkeeper vs goalkeeper? No! Falk skies it and England stay alive. Falk missed the chance to knock England out and send Sweden through to the semi-finals (Getty Images) ❌England 2-2 Sweden - Grace Clinton misses It's back even again, as the pressure of sudden death falls onto the 22-year-old Grace Clinton. This was the weakest penalty of the lot and Falk saved comfortably. At this point, Sarina Wiegman starts to wonder if England had run out of lives. 'Well when you miss so many penalties I was really concerned,' Wiegman said. 'I thought it was done.' ❌England 2-2 Sweden - Sofia Jacobson misses It's the second match point for Sweden, but Hampton makes her best save of the shoot-out to tip it onto the post at full stretch! At this point, England players are starting to lose track of who needs what. 'We were trying to work out what was going on as the shootout was happening,' Kelly admitted. 'Michelle [Agyemang] was asking questions, I was like, if we score and they miss then we win.' ✅England 3-2 Sweden - Lucy Bronze scores In an iconic moment, Bronze steps forward and begins to tear the strapping from her left thigh after feeling muscle tightness towards the end of full-time. 'I thought, it's going to hinder me in a penalty [but] I didn't expect it to go to the sixth penalty,' Bronze said. 'So I didn't take it off [but] then it was my penalty and I thought, I need to take this off. I'm going to actually smack it.' Bronze blasts her penalty down the middle (The FA via Getty Images) With her captain's armband around her wrist, Bronze does just that. She smashes it down the middle. 'I watched the goalkeeper in every penalty and she dived quite early,' Bronze said. 'Statistically in shoot-outs it's risky for goalkeepers to stand still. Go down the middle.' ❌England 3-2 Sweden - Smilla Holmberg misses Now it's England's turn to hold match point, as the pressure falls on Sweden's 18-year-old right back. Holmberg goes for the top corner but blasts her penalty over the crossbar, the ninth miss from 14 penalties as England scrape into the quarter-finals and Hampton is mobbed by her team-mates.