On the return from the Christmas break, Bright, who helped the Blues keep 25 clean sheets in all competitions last season, tells us how training has been so far in the New Year.

‘It’s been exciting, everyone’s looking fit and really sharp out there. We’ve had some excellent training sessions and everyone’s super excited to get back out there doing what we do best.’

The defender also told us how she has started putting plans in place for life after football.

‘We forget that at some point our careers are going to end, as much as we don’t want it to,” the 28-year-old explained.

‘For me I think this year is just to be more creative off the pitch, putting things in place ready for life after football. I’m not going to say too much too soon but there’s a lot of work going on in the background to kickstart something away from football.’

On the pitch our number four wants to develop further as a player and an individual. Stunning performances at the heart of our defence last year earned Bright a trip to Tokyo as part of the Team GB squad in the Olympics. There is no letting up as the centre-back wants to achieve more success in 2022.

‘My personal focus for this year is to always develop, I think that’s something that Emma sets as a standard at Chelsea, it’s always about growing and developing and pushing the team to new levels. For us it’s to keep developing as a squad and also individually and pushing the team to more success.’

Our first winter signing saw Emma Hayes bring in 20-year-old left-back Alsu Abdullina. As a senior member of the squad, Bright discusses the Russian’s move to Cobham and how she has helped her fellow defender settle into life in England.

‘Alsu is lovely, a really nice girl and really good player as well,' she says. 'In an environment like this she’s going to develop into a top left-back. She’s got the right attitude, good technical ability and she has slotted right in.

‘She’s showed really good levels in training, and we’re just going to have to help her out with the communication barrier but I’d like to think the team and the staff are really welcoming and have got the time and patience to help her through that. That’s a challenge for her, that’s a challenge for us but it’s something we’ll get through together.

‘When we get some days off we’ll make sure we do some team bonding and get together as a group. We’re quite good at being social with each other away from football so we’ll definitely be getting her involved and making her feel as settled as possible.’

Following the postponement of Sunday’s FA WSL game against Everton, the Blues are back in action on Wednesday against West Ham United in the quarter-final of the Continental Cup.