Soccer-Bronze played with fractured tibia to help England win Euros
(Reuters) -England defender Lucy Bronze revealed after Sunday's Euro 2025 final victory over Spain that she had played the entire tournament with a fractured tibia.
In the quarter-final against Sweden, the 33-year-old scored a goal before firing home the winning penalty in the shootout.
"I have actually played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia, and then I have hurt my knee on my other leg," Bronze said on Sunday after helping the Lionesses to edge Spain 3-1 on penalties after the final ended 1-1 following extra time.
"That's why I got a lot of praise from the girls after the Sweden game, as I've been in a lot of pain. If that's what it takes to play for England, that's what I'll do."
The Chelsea defender admitted the tournament in Switzerland had been one of the most demanding of her career.
"I do not think we ever stopped believing in ourselves. There was a lot of noise from the outside, but we stayed united and gave everything," Bronze said.
"To win it on penalties shows just how inspiring this team is to be part of.
"Today we showed resilience. We have shown everyone that you should always believe in yourself, no matter what others say."
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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