Millie Bright has shed many tears since calling time on her storied career with Chelsea at the end of April.
Bright's official goodbye comes on Saturday when we face Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, and there will be few dry eyes in the house as the Blues legend bids farewell to our supporters, who she credits as having kept her going through the good times and bad.
No player is more closely associated with Chelsea Women than Bright. She has contributed to all 20 of our trophy wins over her 314 appearances for the club, scoring 19 goals along the way. The closing of this chapter makes way for a new one as the skipper hangs up her boots just as we make Stamford Bridge our permanent home.
Bright was part of the ‘Never Done’ campaign to announce we would be playing all of our Women’s Super League home matches in SW6 next season. It’s something the captain has strongly advocated for, but she is ready to let her team-mates reap the rewards from the increased exposure the move will bring.
‘People might be thinking it’s a shame I never got to experience playing all of our home games at Stamford Bridge, but I have so many memories already from Kingsmeadow,’ says Bright ahead of her Chelsea farewell. 'We are going into the new era of Chelsea, and the fans need to be excited by that as well.
'We all have to stop playing at some point; everything comes to an end eventually. It is nice passing on the baton, and I'm proud of that because I've stuck to my word that I would keep pushing the club forward.
‘Football has been the biggest lesson as a whole. I'm lucky enough to say I've been a serial winner, and I think that's something I need to reflect on. I'm not good at self-praise or anything like that, but I think it's something I need to do.
'I need to appreciate what I've actually achieved and what football has given me, but also what I've been able to give to football.’
After all she has achieved during the groundbreaking rise of the women’s game, it’s hard to separate Bright from her football career.
But as the 32-year-old explains, her journey as an athlete has formed a huge part of her life so far, and now she has a wealth of experience to pass on to the next generation.
‘It shapes you as a person,’ she says. ‘It's moulding you to deal with life; being aware of your emotions and what you're feeling because there's always a reason behind it.
'Football has taught me so much, and you have to have a thick skin to be in it. That's not to say that's how it should be, but it teaches you how to deal with life.
‘If there’s a bit of advice I could give to the kids, it's don’t be naive and think it's football, because it's not. It's way more than that. Pay attention. Enjoy every single minute of it and lap it up because it is over in a flash.’
Bright has decided to retire at the right time for her, but that doesn't make saying goodbye to Chelsea and the life she has lived for 12 years any easier.
'The hardest thing has been to say goodbye to my Chelsea family because they've been there through everything,' she continued.
'The girls have saved me on so many occasions, and they probably don't even know it, to be honest. Sam (Kerr), Guro (Reiten), Erin (Cuthbert), and even the people who came before. The hardest thing is going to be figuring out life without those people.
'If I look over my whole time here, I’ve got Katie Chapman – I’ve always called her my sister – she took me under her wing straight away. Then there are people like Gem Davidson, Claire Rafferty, Drew Spence, Jodie Brett, Rosella Ayane, Magda Eriksson, Fran Kirby, and Maren Mjelde.
'These are all people who have been influential in my career, but also in my life. People that I'll always call friends. We never lose touch. We might not speak every day, but we have so much to talk about if we see each other and you always wish them well. I love seeing people do well who I've once had the privilege of playing with.'
Bright appreciates that she faces a big adjustment to life off the pitch compared with the set routines of being a professional footballer. Yet she knows she is ready, and if she approaches retirement with the same mindset displayed throughout her Chelsea career, there will certainly be big things to come.
Part of that will be continuing her work as a Trustee of the Chelsea Foundation, and she will also step into her new role as an ambassador for the club.
But for now, she can allow herself to rest and recharge, enjoying some newly discovered freedom that she so richly deserves.
'Being away from the routine will be strange,' she explains. 'As a footballer, you have very set routines. And I'm definitely a sucker for routine – I don't like change.
'I'm probably going to miss the scheduling in terms of the structure of my life. Kaz (Karen) Carney once said you need to make sure you have structure in place when you retire. I've already bought a whiteboard, and I've started putting the times on: nine o'clock this, 10 o'clock this...
‘If I look back to retiring from England, you're the only person who can make the decision. Mentally, it's hard to keep going, and going, and going, and pushing through. I feel now I can really sit back and appreciate all the wins.
‘My family have been a big factor in making the decision. I've been away from home for twelve years, and when you go through stuff, and you don't have your people there, it's hard. I'm ready to go home, and that's the biggest feeling. My family are everything.
‘I have so much in my life without football that I'm excited to have that freedom. I can go back to my horses, and that in itself is a schedule because I have to get up at a certain time, so doing all that excites me.
‘I need to learn to live a little. I've been so strict with myself throughout my whole career and sacrificed so much; I'm looking forward to not having to say I can’t make family events because we've got a game.
‘I'm looking forward to having holidays and not missing moments that you can't ever get back. I went to my nephew’s birthday meal the other day, and it was the first one I’d been able to go to.
'It's moments like that that I'm super excited for.'