The experienced England international has a lengthy honours list, and her previous exploits in cup competitions tell her the Blues will need our supporters to make themselves heard against Manchester United at Ashton Gate on Sunday afternoon.

‘The Chelsea fans have been amazing this season,’ she grins. ‘They've pushed us on in big moments. When I think of the Champions League, especially when we've come up against big teams like Wolfsburg and Barcelona at home, the fans in the stadium made such a huge difference.

‘I feel them coming out and supporting us. I think both sets of supporters will be really loud on Sunday, but our fans can cheer us on and make a big difference to the momentum of the game.’

Bronze feels the placement of the League Cup final in the calendar is something which makes it unique; that there’s an added incentive when lifting the trophy can act as a springboard for the rest of the campaign.

And with a two-legged Women’s Champions League quarter-final coming up against our rivals Arsenal, plus crucial fixtures in the Women’s Super League which will determine whether we play in Europe next season, the defender is extra motivated to win the League Cup.

‘I very much treat a final the same as any other game,’ says Bronze. ‘I prepare for every game in exactly the same way. I think the only thing with this final is that it’s so different to any other because it’s in March. Every other trophy you play in is at the end of something. It's a do-or-die, and then that's it, done.

‘This one's unusual because it’s everyone's first chance at silverware. Winning a trophy now can just give you an extra boost of confidence going into a tough part of the season.’

We played Sunday’s opponents in our last match, a 2-1 win after extra time in the Women’s FA Cup fifth round before the international break. Playing back-to-back games against Man United has sparked discussion about how both teams will approach the final. Bronze has her own theories about how it could play out this time around.

‘I think form will count in this one, especially when the previous game was so tight, but at the same time, it's a final,’ she continued. ‘Any advantage you have from already playing each other – in terms of analysis or having an understanding of the player that you're playing against – the other team also has that advantage.

‘If anything, I feel like it might make the game a little bit more exciting because you've got the previous match for both teams to look at and work on and be like, “right, what can we do better?”

‘United have had a really good season. They've been strong in all the cup competitions as well. We just edged them last time, but I felt like across the 90 minutes we had enough chances to win the game.

‘That result against them will give us confidence, but because the game was so tight, it also gives them a little bit of motivation to be like, “oh, we're actually not that far away.” It gives both teams something to build on.’