Bronze pleased to end speculation over club future ahead of Euros

Lucy Bronze is delighted her club future has been sorted ahead of the start of this summer’s Euros campaign with England after she chose a move to Barcelona over a return to Lyon.

It was announced in May thattheright-backwasleaving Manchester City at the end of her contract and last weekend a move to Barca on a two-year deal was finalised. Barca were ChampionsLeaguewinnersin 2021 and runners-up last season, losing in the final to Lyon, whom Bronze played for from 2017 to 2020.

Askedifitwasnicetogointo theEuroswithaclearheadhavingcompletedthetransfer,the 30-year-old, holder of 89 England caps, said: “Definitely.

“It was pretty much done the week after the end of the season, I just had to find the time to sort it all out. It was hard keeping my mouth shut because it was obviously so exciting. The one thing I said to Barca and my agent was that I wantitdonebeforethetournament, get it done, get it out the way. I want to be able to focus on England, I don’t want questionsaboutwhatclubyou’regoing to next and all the talk and the gossip around that. I just wanted to be focused on playing well for England.

“At the end of the season it gave me a lot of confidence. I had offers from Lyon and Barca, the two best teams in the world. It wasn’t bad to be able to pick from that and make my decision. It gives me loads of confidence as a player knowing that these big teams who are so successful want to sign me, want me to play, know that Icanmakeadifferencetotheir team.”

Former Sunderland WomenstarBronzeliftedtheChampions League three times during her time with Lyon, which was sandwiched between two spells with City.

“I knew I wanted to play abroad again,” said Bronze, who was named FIFA Best Women’s Player of the Year in 2020. I think honestly my experience at Lyon was the best timeinmycareer,thebestmoments of my career.

“Goingoutandpushingmyself into a different culture, a different experience, playing with the world’s best players – to have the chance to do that again was a no-brainer.”

Euros hosts England face theNetherlandsatEllandRoad inthesecondofthreewarm-up matches,takeonAustriaatOld Trafford in the tournament’s opening match on July 6.

Their second group game is then at the Amex Stadium against a Norway outfit, with Ada Hegerberg back in their squad.