Bright was one of three Lionesses to be recognised after England reached the Women's World Cup final in the summer. The defender captained her country throughout the tournament, which ended with England suffering a narrow defeat to Spain.

On her return to Chelsea, Bright, who joined the Blues in 2014, was named Chelsea captain and has surpassed 250 appearances for the club this season.

On discovering she was being made an OBE, Bright said: 'Gobsmacked. It’s something you never imagined, something that never crossed my mind.

'Levi opened the letter for me because I was at training. He saw what it was straight away and he was like, ‘oh my God, I’ve got to tell her’. So he sent me a message saying ‘you’ve got a letter, it’s really important’.

'I thought, ‘oh God, what have I done? Am I in trouble again? It’s probably a parking fine or something like that.

'It’s something that you treasure forever and you can tell your kids and grandkids (about). It’s something to be proud of.

'Everyone in my family sacrificed so much for me to be where I am. So whenever I win anything, or get awarded something, it really is for more than just me. That’s why I love playing in a team sport, because without everyone else you wouldn’t be the person or the player you are.'