Lucy Bronze takes our England camp life quiz

Across an international career that spans 12 years and counting, Lucy Bronze has experienced her fair share of England camps.

Here, the Lionesses and Chelsea defender – the 2024-25 player of the year – tells all about what she gets up to on and off the pitch while on international duty.

What is one essential item you’re packing in your suitcase for a camp?

My toiletry bag or my toothbrush probably!

What about one luxury item?

This time, I’ve brought my red light face mask. I don’t always bring that but I just saw it on the side so I thought I’ll bring it this time and keep me looking young.

How do you like to spend your downtime on camp?

I’m always busy. A lot of the girls play Monopoly or they play games. Sometimes we have dog walks. I think I’m always chewing someone’s ear off probably.

Who would you sit next to on a plane or bus journey to an England game?

In tournaments, I’ve sat next to LJ [Lauren James] for the last two tournaments. I don’t know whether it’s for her to calm me down or me to calm her down. I talk at her a lot and she tends to just sit. We work quite well. We sit next to each other on planes as well.

In the EUROs, I sat aisle seats across from Beth Mead who was always playing some sort of word game, so me, her, Alex [Greenwood] and Keira [Walsh], were always involved in guessing the words on the way to training.

What kind of character or personality would you say you are within the group and how would your team-mates describe you?

I’d say in the group now, I’m probably one of the leaders but at the same time, I’m not too serious. I think I’m quite reliable – the girls know that. I don’t want to say I’m the mother but I definitely take a lot of responsibility but I like to think I’m a bit of a joker at the same time.

What is your favourite meal to eat on camp?

Maybe the wraps. They have so many fillings here which I would never be bothered to do at home. The chefs here know that I love sauces, spice and everything like that, so he always fills them up – my little burritos that I have are massive.

What is your favourite part of training?

Not the warm-up. I can’t stand warming up!

I really like the small-sided games we do at England. They get really competitive sometimes. Sarina and the coaching staff aren’t great referees either, so it tends to wind people up and it gets a little bit heated!

I think for the past two seasons, Niamh Charles has been the MVP of small-sided – she’s the key player in small-sided which may or may not be a shock to people.

Talk us through your pre-match routine.

I can’t really sit still so I don’t tend to sit in my room a lot. Some of the younger players like to go out for walks and coffees, so sometimes I jump on the back of them. I know Maya [Le Tissier] is always doing something, so I tend to grab her and go somewhere.

My pre-match meal as well, I just eat whatever I fancy, whether that’s pasta or banana bread.

What kind of music do you listen to before a game?

I like all music and I know everyone says that but I genuinely like all music.

On my own, I tend to listen to music that they don’t play. For me, living abroad as well, I really got into French rap or Latin music like Spanish music.

Talk us through your post-match routine.

Ice bath. I love ice baths. I have an ice bath at home.

It was funny during the EUROs because we used to watch Love Island straight after the games and in the advert break, I’d run outside and jump in the ice bath and come back in. Grace [Clinton] and Khiara [Keating] were like, ‘what is wrong with you?’

What is your favourite thing about being on camp?

It’s nice to not have to cook and clean for yourself!

It’s nice playing with the best players in the country. I love playing for England and I love being part of all these different players’ journeys and just learning from players, from staff members and just making the environment as good as possible.

Obviously, I’ve lived through so much at England and I just never take for granted being able to turn up.

How would you sum up pulling on an England shirt and representing your country?

I was speaking about this before because I’ve never had the words to describe it. People always say they’re so proud and so honoured and I am but I’m someone who definitely shows with actions rather than speaks words.

I think the way that I play for England shows how much I’m passionate and how much I love putting on the England shirt, from day dot against Japan to the last game against Spain. That passion has never left me and that desire to wear the England badge has always been there. There’s nothing I’ve wanted more in my career than to play for England.

What is your favourite moment during your England career?

I will say scoring against Norway [at the 2015 Women's World Cup], was one of my favourite moments because I think it’s the only time I’ve ever had a celebration. Me and Jordan Nobbs had made a celebration because she used to score all the time but she got injured that tournament, so she didn’t play but we made a celebration together for when she scored, never expecting for me to score.

She was the first person I celebrated with when we found out that I was playing in and starting the game – we went in her room and we jumped on the bed.

When I scored that goal, everyone jumped on me and I was trying to get them off, ran over to the bench and we did this little handshake. Nowadays, it definitely would’ve gone viral, that little handshake, because we just made it up on the bus.

I think that was one of my favourite moments, going to a major tournament so young and just celebrating a moment with one of your best friends. It’s incomparable to anything else.

What is one piece of advice your younger self would’ve given you now you’re in this position, playing for England?

Just to keep enjoying yourself. I think that’s something I’ve done through my career anyway but just keep enjoying playing, being part of a team, making friends, making connections.

That’s a big reason why I got into football – it was the way that I connected with people about something that I loved as a very shy, young girl and it was just how I made friends. Just keep enjoying making connections with new people.