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England and Chelsea right-back Lucy Bronze has spoken about her autism and ADHD diagnosis for the first time and believes it has made her “so successful” in her football career.
Bronze, 33, explained she received her diagnosis in 2021 and was choosing to speak about it to help “get rid of the stigma”.
“Growing up as a child who was misunderstood, I don’t want that for anyone else,” she told BBC Sport.
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a condition characterised by inattention and hyperactivity that can affect daily functioning, while autism is a neurodivergence that impacts how people experience and interact with the world.
One common autistic trait is having intense interests, and Bronze — a five-time Champions League winner with Lyon and Chelsea — said this has helped drive her football career.
“People always say, ‘Oh, you’re so passionate about football’,” she added. “I don’t know if I’d say I’m passionate — I’m obsessed. That’s my autism.”
Another autistic characteristic is masking, a strategy used either consciously or unconsciously to appear non-autistic.
Bronze explained that she copied the behaviours of others throughout her 20s. She gave the example of not speaking to anyone when she first started attending England camps and trying to copy the behaviour of gregarious team-mate Jill Scott: “I would just watch Jill and think, oh she speaks to everyone, what’s she doing? I’ll just copy that a bit.”
Bronze has been capped 129 times by England, making her the Lionesses’ joint-sixth top appearance maker. She was part of England’s Euro 2022-winning squad and started every game at the tournament as Sarina Wiegman’s side beat Germany in the final at Wembley.
The 2019 UEFA Player of the Year made her debut in senior football with Sunderland at 16 and, following her move from Barcelona to Chelsea this summer, she has been a key part of Sonia Bompastor’s unbeaten side, featuring 18 times in the Women’s Super League and Champions League.
Bronze credits her ADHD and autism as being key to her longevity in the game, with exercise and training every day giving her a “focus”.
“Some of the other girls will be like: ‘Are you sure you’re 33 because you don’t stop?’ It’s just my superpower.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
England, Soccer, UK Women's Football, Culture, Women's Euros, Women's World Cup
2025 The Athletic Media Company
Continue reading...
Bronze, 33, explained she received her diagnosis in 2021 and was choosing to speak about it to help “get rid of the stigma”.
“Growing up as a child who was misunderstood, I don’t want that for anyone else,” she told BBC Sport.
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a condition characterised by inattention and hyperactivity that can affect daily functioning, while autism is a neurodivergence that impacts how people experience and interact with the world.
One common autistic trait is having intense interests, and Bronze — a five-time Champions League winner with Lyon and Chelsea — said this has helped drive her football career.
“People always say, ‘Oh, you’re so passionate about football’,” she added. “I don’t know if I’d say I’m passionate — I’m obsessed. That’s my autism.”
Another autistic characteristic is masking, a strategy used either consciously or unconsciously to appear non-autistic.
Bronze explained that she copied the behaviours of others throughout her 20s. She gave the example of not speaking to anyone when she first started attending England camps and trying to copy the behaviour of gregarious team-mate Jill Scott: “I would just watch Jill and think, oh she speaks to everyone, what’s she doing? I’ll just copy that a bit.”
Bronze has been capped 129 times by England, making her the Lionesses’ joint-sixth top appearance maker. She was part of England’s Euro 2022-winning squad and started every game at the tournament as Sarina Wiegman’s side beat Germany in the final at Wembley.
The 2019 UEFA Player of the Year made her debut in senior football with Sunderland at 16 and, following her move from Barcelona to Chelsea this summer, she has been a key part of Sonia Bompastor’s unbeaten side, featuring 18 times in the Women’s Super League and Champions League.
Bronze credits her ADHD and autism as being key to her longevity in the game, with exercise and training every day giving her a “focus”.
“Some of the other girls will be like: ‘Are you sure you’re 33 because you don’t stop?’ It’s just my superpower.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
England, Soccer, UK Women's Football, Culture, Women's Euros, Women's World Cup
2025 The Athletic Media Company
Continue reading...
