Portugal tapped me up, says Bronze

MARTIN SAMUEL IS AWAY

LUCY BRONZE could have been lining up against England’s women tomorrow, rather than for them — after Portugal tried to tap her up through Facebook as a teenager. The Lionesses can seal top spot in European Championship Group D in Tilburg with just a draw and will even go through with a two-goal defeat against the first-time qualifiers. Right back Bronze might mark this as a particularly special occasion given her background. The PFA Player of the Year’s father, Joaquim, is Portuguese and she admits an offer to play for tomorrow night’s opponents turned her head when she was 16. Monica Jorge, now head of women’s football in Portugal, sent parents Diane and Joaquim a message in the hope her country could tap into the potential of a woman who is now one of the world’s best defenders. ‘It was on Facebook,’ Bronze, 25, says. ‘It must have been an England youth game that I was playing in and it was mentioned that I was half Portuguese. She (Jorge) got in touch with my mum and dad on Facebook and said, “Obviously it’s a long shot as Lucy’s playing for England, but if there was ever a chance that she might want to play for Portugal we’d more than welcome her into the squad”.’ It proved a tempting offer for a player who only made her mark with England’s seniors from the age of 21 with previous boss Hope Powell preferring other options. ‘It hadn’t looked on the horizon,’ Bronze says of her England call-up. ‘I only broke into the squad for the 2013 Euro because there were a lot of unfortunate injuries. ‘It felt like I’d just been chucked in. So I didn’t really feel like I was in the squad, and it got close to the point where I was thinking, “I just want to play international football, and I’m just as much Portuguese as I am English”. It wouldn’t have felt like a disservice to England. But then the managers changed, Brent Hills (interim manager) played me and Mark (Sampson) has played me.’ Current boss Sampson is relieved to have one of his most reliable performers in England colours. ‘She’s going to be around in an England jersey for a long time,’ he says. ‘Not just winning matches, winning trophies.’ The big question is, who will dad Joaquim be cheering on in Tilburg? Bronze says: ‘He’ll support who he’s told to support. My mum will tell him — England, of course.’