Chapman and Davison were both in the Chelsea line-up when a young Bright made her Blues debut in a Women’s FA Cup tie against Watford in 2015, and have seen her develop on and off the pitch into a hugely successful club captain and one of the world’s best defenders.

Both of her former team-mates expressed their pride at the player and person Bright has become over the 10 years since she first arrived at Cobham and shared some of their memories from those early days of her Blues career.

That includes Chapman – herself the Chelsea captain in that period, before passing the armband on in 2018 – revealing our stalwart centre-back wasn’t originally delighted about playing in defence at all!

‘I remember when Millie first came to the club and she reminded me of myself. She played just like me, she was that one who would get stuck in and would love a challenge and was a winner. I could see it in her from the moment she arrived,’ said Chapman, who skippered the Blues to our first-ever Women’s Super League title in Bright’s debut season here.

‘She started off in midfield with me and as her career developed she moved back into centre-back, which allowed her to see the pitch in front of her, get on the ball, and she learned so much more of the game. She didn’t want to play at centre-back, I think it took her a while to get her head around that it was actually her best position!

‘The minute she came here she always wanted to learn and get better. She was always that player who gave 100 per cent on the pitch and always asked questions about what she needed to improve on. We knew she was going to continue to develop and she’s at the best club to do that, and the coaches she’s had over the years helped with that.

‘And she has a heart of gold. She would do anything for anybody and I love that about her. Now she is the captain of the club. It took her a while to get there, but she’s there and she leads with pride.’

Davison is also well placed to see how Bright has developed over the years. Not only was she a team-mate of Bright and Chapman during that 2015 season, but also the young defender’s housemate.

Now working with her at Chelsea again as part of Sonia Bompastor’s coaching staff, Gemma is impressed by how much Bright has grown to become the leader and role model we all know and love.

‘I moved in with Millie and Ji [So-Yun]. I can’t tell you too much about it, there are some things I shouldn’t share! All I’ll say about that is, it’s been very interesting to watch her evolve and get older and mature. She’s not the housemate I remember, but she’s still good fun,' added Davison.

‘Working at Chelsea with her now, she’s grown into a natural leader. I think she’s definitely followed in Katie’s path in terms of the captaincy and raising standards.

‘I think she was destined for this pathway. Her mentality is a cut above everyone else to be honest. She knows how to represent Chelsea Football Club and she leaves everything on the pitch every time she crosses that white line.

‘That’s her game and I love seeing her train every day. She trains at 100 per cent, she wants to win and she wants to help people as well. She knows that this club is about winning trophies and she’ll never lose that.

‘I’m really proud of Millie, she’s really raised her game, going from midfield to now, working on her long diagonal balls as a centre-back. She’s really mastered her trade as one of the best centre-halves in the country. She wears the badge with pride and long may it continue.’