Lucy Bronze, England's most decorated female footballer, has revealed that her life could have taken a dramatically different turn, with a career in accountancy nearly replacing her historic footballing journey.
The Road Not Taken: Accountancy vs Athletics
The two-time European champion disclosed that before becoming a professional athlete, she faced a crucial choice between pursuing football or following her mathematical talents into accountancy. "It was between football and accountancy for me," Bronze admitted. "Although I've met some accountants as an adult who say that perhaps being a professional footballer has been more fun," she added with laughter.
Coming from a family with strong mathematical roots - her mother is a maths teacher, her brother holds a maths degree, and all family members completed A level maths - Bronze maintains deep appreciation for numerical skills. "Maths is everywhere. I'm such a big believer in the power of education, and how maths is an absolutely crucial life skill," the Chelsea defender emphasised.
Planning for Life After Football
The 34-year-old star, who has won the UEFA Women's Champions League five times across spells with Lyon and Barcelona, acknowledges the transient nature of sporting careers. "There is a shelf life for a footballer - being a professional athlete is a much shorter career than your average," Bronze noted pragmatically.
She hasn't ruled out revisiting her accountancy ambitions, suggesting "I may still be an accountant yet!" This awareness of professional sport's temporary nature shapes her current dedication: "You eat, sleep, drink, train. My 24 hours in a day is spent focused on that."
Reflecting on potential career differences, Bronze observed: "If I had a different career maybe I'd switch off a bit more. I know that my mum as a maths teacher, she wasn't completely obsessed with teaching every minute of the day."
Championing Numeracy Beyond the Pitch
Bronze is channelling her mathematical background into her partnership with Barclays bank and National Numeracy for November's Number Confidence Week. The initiative aims to build numerical confidence among young people and parents across the UK, highlighting how numeracy skills prove essential in daily life - from calculating bills to analysing football statistics.
The Lioness, who recently made history by being named in the Fifpro Women's World XI for a record eighth time, continues to demonstrate extraordinary resilience. She revealed playing the entire 2025 European tournament with a fractured tibia, stating: "It's the first time maybe anyone has been able to prove that they'll actually do anything to play for England. People may say that 'they'd play with a broken leg', but I've actually done it."
Despite her numerous achievements, Bronze maintains one significant unfulfilled ambition: "Winning the World Cup has been at the top of my bucket list ever since I put on an England shirt. I've managed to do everything else apart from that." She even declared she would trade both European Championship victories for a single World Cup win.
Beyond football, Bronze has been open about her 2021 diagnosis of ADHD and autism, describing how "sport was my way of connecting with people when I couldn't otherwise. That environment gave me somewhere I could be competitive and be obsessed with something. It gave me a safe space" during childhood struggles with bullying and social connections.
Her recent comments defending former England goalkeeper Mary Earps against criticism highlight her advocacy for female athletes, asserting that "female players are constantly under a magnifying glass" compared to male counterparts who are "solely judged on their ability."
