Lucy Bronze made her 145th senior appearance for England on Saturday, but few of her performances could have been better than this brilliant all-round display.
The 34-year-old right-back scored the opener in the 23rd minute with a superb header after racing in at the right time to meet Lauren James’s cross, ensuring England’s early pressing advantage.
And with 12 minutes left to play, when there was panic around the field due to the Lionesses’ failure to extend their lead, Bronze produced a perfect cross for Georgia Stanway to sweep the volley home and secure three World Cup qualifying points against Iceland.
On a day when she surpassed Karen Carney to become England’s third-most capped footballer of all time, Bronze demonstrated why she continues to be the benchmark for the Lionesses both on and off the field.
“She’s an unbelievable human being,” England manager Sarina Wigman said in her post-match media conference when asked by BBC Sport about Bronze’s performance.
“She defends herself and has such football understanding that she helps the team on and off the field.”
Bronze has been England’s undisputed first-choice right-back for more than a decade, but questions have begun to swirl about succession planning.
She will be 35 by the time of the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil and Maya Le Tissier started at right-back against Ukraine in midweek.
But Bronze’s performance at the City Ground was perfect. She took five shots, played 49 passes with 91% accuracy and helped hold Iceland to just one attempt on goal in defence—which Hannah Hampton brilliantly saved in her only significant action.
This shows that bronze remains an integral part of Wigman’s England.
“She plays a big role in the team – she wants to make the World Cup,” the Dutch coach said.
“She is still building up minutes, but if you perform like this on the pitch, you are still very important.”
England’s bronze medallist in attendance praised the two-time European champions.
“That’s why Lucy is in the team,” Carney told ITV Sport. “She has that mentality; she always demands more and that’s why we won two Euros. She knows what we need to get to the next level of winning the World Cup, including improving our teamwork and strategic play during crucial matches.
“I love that she still demands more; she‘s still an absolute winner.”
