Bronze: 'I didn't earn enough to get taxed'

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·23 September 2025

Bronze: 'I didn't earn enough to get taxed'

Lucy Bronze has talked about her start to life in football and early struggles in a wide-ranging interview.

The England and Chelsea star was talking on FIFPRO’s Footballers Unfiltered, a podcast by the player's union hosted by Joe Hart while joined by former player Victoria Williams and covered a wide-range of subjects.

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"I got £6,000 for the year," Bronze said about her first professional contract with Liverpool – a big sign of the change in women's football fortunes in recent years.

"That was my professional contract three years in, plus expenses. I claimed more on expenses than I got paid. I didn't earn enough to get taxed.

"I was quite fortunate because I say that my first two years when it was professional, I was at university, so I was studying and getting my degree. I never had the dream that professional football was going to be my job. I still had a part-time job in Domino's."

However, there is still much to do for the women's game and even though Bronze has managed to win five Champions League trophies in her career there is still much to do.

"I've played for the best women's teams in the world and they're not as amazing in the background as you think. They're all missing something. But that's just the women's game and where it's at. Maybe we don't share that enough about vulnerabilities or weaknesses because nobody wants to in the real world."

Bronze recently ranked ninth in the 2025 Ballon d'Or rankings after her season with Chelsea and a stand-out Euro campaign but there is still one big goal left for the 33-year-old.

"Winning something for England has always been my goal and winning the Euros is amazing, but there is nothing better than the World Cup. I've played in three World Cups; I finished fourth, third and second.

"I want to make it to the next World Cup. I'm obviously not the youngest player. I'll be pushing myself to get there, and I've been fortunate enough to go to seven major tournaments for England, why not make it another one?"