‘I could never have imagined this’ – Lucy Bronze after going third in all-time England caps list with victory against Iceland

Lucy Bronze is showing no signs of slowing down as she made her 145th England appearance, becoming the third most capped England player of all time.

In a 2-0 victory over Iceland , the 34-year-old proved once again why she is so important to Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses as she produced a goal and an assist.

After making her debut in 2013, her 145th cap saw her surpass the number of appearances her good friend Karen Carney made in an England shirt, now only sitting behind Fara Williams and Jill Scott.

“I could never have imagined even getting to 100 caps,” the defender said. “Let alone to be surpassing someone like Karen Carney, who to me was a legend, someone I grew up admiring, and one of my role models.

“And being behind Jill and Farah, my old teammates and just people that I’ve looked up to throughout my career. To even be in and around them, it’s just mind-blowing for me.”

When asked if she would be chasing down Jill Scott’s 161 appearances, she laughed: “No, that’s never been my intention.

“It’s not been to just chase caps. I just want to win things for England. The goal now is to go to the World Cup and do our best to try and win it.”

Despite a performance which saw her score a 22nd international goal, Bronze admitted she is still struggling with fitness following her leg injury, which saw her play through a fractured tibia during England’s victorious Euro 2025 campaign.

“I’m probably not in my best fitness, but that’s something still to work on,” she added. “Obviously, it’s been difficult coming back from the fracture in the summer. It’s not an easy injury to come back from. But yes, I’m just taking each game as it comes, and I’ve got good communication with my managers and physical staff and I always like to work hard.

“I just never take any training session for granted, I think the girls will tell you that. Anyone who trains with me knows that I give 100 per cent every single day.

“I’m doing extras in the gym – I absolutely love playing football and I love representing my country.

“I also have a very good knee surgeon, Andy Williams, who’s kept me going. But it’s not always been the easiest, but I absolutely love it, and I just push myself every day to be the best I can.”

When asked who might be her succession plan in the right-back position in which she thrives, she gave a nod to the Manchester United captain, Maya Le Tissier.

“We’ve got a lot of good players,” she added. “Maya did really well there, I know it’s not her position, but she still plays really well there.

“We’ve got such good players all over the pitch. It doesn’t really matter how old you are or how many caps you have, old or young. I’m just happy to keep giving my best, and if I’m good enough to play for England and Sarina picks me, then I’m available.”