'We are not items, nobody owns us' - Bright

Millie Bright has won 84 England caps

England defender Millie Bright says there needs to be a reminder that female footballers "own ourselves" and are "not items" after urging fans to treat players with respect.

Chelsea captain Bright, who captained England to the 2023 Women's World Cup final, spoke about the issue on social media earlier this month after saying a fan had made an expletive-filled comment about her performance, having asked her for photos and autographs.

Bright's latest comments come after British tennis player Emma Raducanu was targeted by a man who "exhibited fixated behaviour" during her match at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday.

Bright says she has "not thought about anything like that" in women's football but believes a reminder is needed that athletes are humans too.

"The fans are incredible and I usually have good responses," said Bright.

"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."

'You don't deserve to be disrespected'

Bright described her encounter with a fan as "hugely disappointing" when insults were directed at her following Chelsea's 1-0 win at Aston Villa this month.

Reflecting on the incident, Bright said she was "glad" it happened to her and not a younger team-mate.

"I was really taken aback and disappointed. That was the biggest thing," said Bright.

"I wasn't actually bothered about the opinion of my performance, it was more the fact I had gone to the fans to give my time. To then be disrespected afterwards immediately, I just thought 'I'm here off my own back'.

"I slept on it and it was on my mind all night. Comments like that can really affect you."

Bright says she has "heard of a couple of situations" regarding other players facing similar experiences but they "did not feel strong enough to speak out".

"Ultimately, I wanted to protect my team and let them know that if they need to speak out, they have a right to," added Bright.

"You don't deserve to be disrespected. We do our part and pay our respects to the fans. I think sometimes it's a two-way street.

"It's important and I feel it's something that's creeping into the women's game. It's a gentle reminder. It was a really disappointing thing to come across."