How Lucy Bronze kept broken leg a secret at Euro 2025 – as told by her mum | OneFootball

Lucy Bronze’s mother has revealed how her daughter was able to play through Euro 2025 despite having a broken leg.

Speaking from Switzerland, the proud mother talked about how many of Lucy’s Lioness teammates and the wider family knew about her fractured tibia, but they were able to prevent it from leaking to the public.

But she said her daughter’s sport sciences studies helped her manage her injury throughout the tournament on their way to lifting the trophy.

“We knew all the way through,” Diane Bronze told BBC Woman’s Hour.

“Originally somebody said, ‘Well, it can’t be a fracture, because you wouldn’t be able to stand up’.

“But she said, ‘I’ve got high pain threshold, and I can deal with pain’.

“Obviously, we knew the medics checked it, and they knew what they were doing.

Bronze lifts the trophy with her leg heavily strapped (Getty Images)

“She did a sports science degree. She reads research papers and she knows about injuries.

“That’s how she can keep going. That’s why she knew how to tape her own leg.”

Asked how she felt about her daughter playing with a fracture – which her mother said happened in June – Ms Bronze laughed: “It doesn’t matter how I feel, it’s what she’s going to do.”

She said Lucy’s club Chelsea knew about playing through the fracture, adding: “The amazing thing is that the medical team all knew about it, we knew about it, I think a lot of the girls knew, and not a whisper got out.”

Ms Bronze said her maiden name was Tough, and after marriage she followed the tradition of her husband’s Portuguese heritage by keeping it – so her children are all Toughs.

She said: “I’m Diane Tough Bronze.

“When you get married in Portugal, you just add your husband’s name.

“You keep your own and add his, so all of my children are Tough Bronzes.”

Her mother was sure Lucy will carry on playing football once she has recovered from the tournament, saying: “I think Sarina (Wiegman) had it right.

“She’s going to have to get her off the pitch in a wheelchair.”