‘Nobody owns us’: Millie Bright calls for players to be treated with respect after Raducanu incident | OneFootball

Millie Bright has delivered an impassioned message to fans that “nobody owns” female sportspeople after Emma Raducanu was left in tears when she spotted a “fixated” spectator in the stands at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Raducanu alerted officials during her match on Tuesday to the presence in the stands of an individual who had accosted her earlier in the tournament. The man was removed by security and had exhibited “fixated behaviour” towards Raducanu, in the words of the Women’s Tennis Association.

This month Bright called out fans’ verbal abuse of female footballers, using social media to express disappointment over an incident with a supporter after Chelsea’s defeat of Aston Villa. The England international was abused by the individual over her performance moments after signing autographs and taking photos with them.

Asked about the Raducanu incident, Bright said she had “not thought about anything like that” in women’s football, but said: “If there is a message to be sent, it is that we are human. We are somebody’s partner and somebody’s daughter. We are not items. Nobody owns us. We own ourselves and that needs to be reminded and told.”

Bright expanded on her decision to go public regarding her experience at Villa. “In the moment I didn’t actually do anything because I was really taken aback and disappointed,” the 31‑year‑old said. “Football is full of opinions and everyone can have one. I wasn’t bothered with the opinion on my performance, it was more the fact I had gone to the fans to give my time, give signatures, inspire the next generation and say ‘hi’ to little ones.

“To give that time and to try to have a genuine conversation and to then be disrespected afterwards immediately, I just thought: ‘I’m here off my own back.’”

Bright, speaking in the Algarve before England’s Nations League opener against Portugal on Friday evening, said the incident had stayed on her mind all night and that she was glad it had happened to her and not a younger teammate.

“Comments like that can really affect you,” Bright said. “We go out to play for our fans every single game – whether that’s with our clubs or countries – and we want to make everyone proud. I’ve heard of a couple of situations that players went through where they maybe didn’t feel strong enough to speak out, and ultimately I wanted to protect my team and let them know that if they need to speak out they have a right to.

“You don’t deserve to be disrespected, especially not when you have given your time and effort after a game … It’s a two-way street. I feel it’s something that’s creeping into the women’s game. My post was a gentle reminder.”

England welcome the world champions Spain to Wembley after the trip to Portugal in their first camp of 2025, as the countdown to the European Championship this summer gets under way. Bright said this window has come at a good time. “It’s always good to get that time away and refresh mentally and physically. We’ve started the year with a really positive energy and everyone’s thriving to be back and excited for two massive games.”

Bright described the past 12 months for England as a rollercoaster, with results and performances not as consistent as they had been previously. “Football is very challenging on and off the pitch,” she said. “We learned some really good lessons, but we have a lot of good memories as well. We sometimes forget that the rest of the world is also improving and training as professional athletes like us. I’m really proud that the game is growing so much and it’s even more competitive now.”

The European Championship is not on the Chelsea defender’s mind at the moment. “I’ve not actually thought about the Euros just yet,” she said. “For me, it’s still a little bit too far away. Yes, everything that we’re doing now is to prepare for the Euros, but when we’re on a camp with two competitive games for the Nations League I think it’s so important to stay present in the moment.”

Header image: [Photograph: Harriet Lander/The FA/Getty Images]