While Lucy Bronze is resting up after pulling out of the SheBelieves Cup with a calf injury she has shared the secrets to her successful career so far.
The Lyon right-back and England star shared how she gets everything done on and off the pitch with Vogue for International Women's Day.
She told the magazine that she is always working towards getting better: “I think when I come to the end of my career, I’ll look back and go, ‘Wow, I actually achieved quite a lot.’
"But in the moment, I’m thinking of the next thing… constantly thinking, ‘How can I do even better than last time? How can I be better in 2020 than in 2019?’ I’m constantly looking forward and working even harder, to be even smarter than the year before.”
It's clear through what Bronze says that she always tries to stay grounded and humble, despite her achievements which include 81 international caps, a UEFA Women's Player of the Year award, the World Cup Silver Ball and being hailed one of the best right-backs in the world.
“I think it’s easy to get carried away with yourself and think, ‘I’m the one, I’m there, I’ve made it.’ You’ve got to realise that you’re still a part [of something bigger] – you’re only as good as those around you," she told Vogue.
"Every time I’m nominated for or I win an individual accolade, my first thought is, ‘Well, I couldn’t have done it without the team.’”
Even the struggles that come with being a woman in football make Bronze more driven, she explains: “The fact that we [as women footballers] are treated differently sometimes, the negatives of that are quite obvious – in terms of money, facilities, and how we’re treated in general – it’s a hindrance.
"But on the flip-side, it just makes you more driven. I think my career has been pushed so much because I want people to watch me and think, ‘She’s good,’ and not about whether I’m a male or a female footballer.”