On this day 10 years ago, a then-21-year-old Millie Bright joined the Blues. She arrived from Doncaster Rovers Belles, a club in the second tier of the women's game, and expressed her desire to work with some of the country’s top players.

‘It is great to be signing for this club and I am ready for the step up,’ she said upon joining Chelsea. ‘I wanted to be back in FA WSL 1 and to be here with so many great role models and players is fantastic.’

Little did Bright know what her future would hold. Not so far in the future, she would become one of those great players and role models she once spoke of.

But, let’s take a look back to where it all started. When Bright joined the club, the Blues had just narrowly missed out on a maiden Women’s Super League title...

The following season, Bright’s first in London, was a different story. By the end of her first term wearing Chelsea blue, she had lifted both the FA Cup and the WSL. It was a first domestic double for the Blues and only the beginning of an impressive journey of winning silverware for Bright.

It was a remarkable start to life in London, even more so given this was the first season Bright had played full-time professional football. It was a transition she confidently believed she was ready to make. And right she was.

‘I signed my first professional contract in 2015 in a heartbeat and I knew I was ready for it,’ Bright added about joining Chelsea. ‘To look at where football is now, I’m so grateful to be in my generation because it means I can appreciate what has come before compared to what it is now, and I’ve never looked back.’

During that maiden season, Bright was part of a formidable midfield alongside Katie Chapman. She made 26 appearances from a possible 28 fixtures; the makings of a Chelsea legend were there from the very
beginning.

A second season may not have yielded any trophies, but it was still a campaign to remember on a personal level. Bright started more games than any other, featuring in midfield, as a centre-half and a full-back. She was named Chelsea’s Players’ Player and Young Player of the Year.

Her form with the Blues was soon rewarded with a maiden international senior cap. A last-minute appearance in a win against Belgium in September 2016 was how she made her England bow.

Back with Chelsea, the campaigns that followed saw that winning feeling return. The interim edition of the WSL – the 2017 Spring Series – was won by the Blues, with Bright being a near-permanent fixture in the side that conceded only five goals. She even pitched in with two of her own.

That form continued into the 2017/18 season when Bright earned a PFA Women’s Player of the Year award nomination and was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the first time after helping the Blues once again win the domestic double: the FA Cup and the WSL.

The 2018/19 season would be only the second campaign during Bright’s entire spell with the club that she would not lift silverware. However, she still impressed and was named vice-captain to Karen Carney.

Bright retained the vice-captaincy when Magdalena Eriksson took the armband ahead of the 2019/20 campaign. A maiden League Cup triumph arrived when the Blues beat Arsenal in February, but the Covid-19 pandemic curtailed the league campaign.

And although football was put on hold, the trophies didn’t stop as we were awarded the WSL title on a points-per-game basis. A third league trophy for Bright – and the first of five consecutive victories that followed.

In empty stadiums and with fans watching on from home, we returned to the pitch for the 2020/21 season. Bright opened the scoring with a wonder-strike at Wembley as we beat Manchester City to lift our first Community Shield.

During the campaign, Bright’s partnership with Eriksson thrived as the pair helped the Blues keep 25 clean sheets across all competitions as we retained our WSL and League Cup trophies.

History was also made as the defender was a mainstay of the team that reached the UEFA Champions League final for the first time.

The season that followed was, like most of the terms prior, another one to remember on an individual and collective note.

She started in each of our 39 matches across all competitions, captaining the side on 16 occasions and celebrating 200 appearances for Chelsea, as the Blues won the WSL once more and two FA Cups, with the delayed 2021 final played in December.

The summer of 2022 was an unforgettable one for Bright. She was named England’s vice-captain for the European Championships and played an integral role as the Lionesses made history by winning a maiden major tournament.

Returning to the Blues as a European champion, Bright was once again ever-present during the first half of the season. An injury in early 2023, meant the defender was sidelined for the rest of the campaign. But, her contributions helped win a fourth consecutive title and a third straight FA Cup.

The defender recovered in time to be included in England’s squad for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. In Leah Williamson’s absence, Bright captained the Lionesses and became the first person to lead an England women's team in a World Cup final.

And following Erikkson’s departure, Bright was named Chelsea captain ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

‘It’s a massive honour to have the title of club captain,’ Bright said on taking the armband. ‘Chelsea is my home. It always has been and always will be, so I’m delighted to have that title, but nothing changes. I’m in a really privileged position.’

There was another individual achievement in late 2023 when it was announced that Bright was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list for services to football.

But, it has not always been plain sailing during Bright’s time at Chelsea. There have been highs and lows, with last season being one of her toughest due to five months out through injury. However, our captain still led admirably from the sidelines.

‘I’d like to think the girls would have felt my support the whole season,’ our captain explained. ‘It was definitely tough, but I had to adapt to the situation. I wanted to still lead by example, just in different ways.’

Following that lengthy absence, Bright returned to the starting XI for our final four league games. She signed off from a challenging season by helping the Blues win a fifth consecutive league title.

She has started this season in fine form and has been a regular starter under head coach Sonia Bompastor. The defender has played every minute of our nine WSL games thus far; the Blues have won each of those matches.

Our captain has been synonymous with the success Chelsea has achieved in the last decade. Seven WSL titles. Five FA Cups. Two League Cups. A WSL Spring Series. A Community Shield. Ten years. Millie Bright.