Lucy Bronze has revealed after the won European Championship final in Basel that she played the entire tournament with a fractured shin. The English right-back is happy that she persevered despite her physical discomfort.
“I played the entire European Championship with a fractured shin,” Bronze said after the match against Spain to BBC Sport. “And then today I also injured my knee on my other leg.”
Bronze was important in this European Championship, including the quarter-finals. The 33-year-old defender scored the connecting goal against Sweden ten minutes before the end (final score 2-2), after which she shot the last penalty for England in the penalty series.
“My injury was the reason that I received a lot of praise from my teammates after the match against Sweden, as I had suffered a lot of pain. But if that is necessary to play for England, then I will do it.”
Sarina Wiegman confirms that Bronze played the European Championship with a fractured shin. “The whole team has a great mentality, but Lucy has a bizarre mentality,” said the national coach.
Bronze played 598 minutes at the tournament in Switzerland. Only Keira Walsh, Alex Greenwood and Hannah Hampton played longer for Wiegman’s team at this European Championship.
