The Rest Is Football: Daly Brightness - Brave, Bold, Courageous - Millie Puts Herself And The Team First With Incredibly Difficult Euros Decision

Episode Date: June 4, 2025

Why do people underestimate the mental toll an international tournament takes on players? Why was this the right decision for Millie, and the Lionesses, if she’s unable to give 100% of herself? Why is player welfare so important and how do clubs and countries build on the great work they’ve been doing in that area recently? Rach and Millie also answer the best of your questions, as they disagree on a particularly tricky ‘would you rather…’ and pick their favourite all-time crisps.  For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before we get into today's episode of Daily Brightness, we just want to say a huge thank you to Shaw for helping bring our podcast to life. Obviously this is something that we've wanted to do for a while, teaming up with Goldhanger was an absolute no-brainer for us, but I think it's more just probably to get our points out there. I think like before Rach, it's about bringing Daily Brightness to life and I think when we first invented it, if you like, it was all about communicating with each other, having that safe space to kind of be a little bit vulnerable and just showing our raw authentic selves and I think for us the podcast is that and that's why I think we're extremely grateful for sure to give us that opportunity and kind of bringing it to life and allowing us to now you know have it on a

wider spectrum and connecting with the fans again but also some of the things in the women's game that really need to be better and the problems and boundaries that we still face and I think as players current players as well we can really touch on that and you know hopefully bring a little bit of attention but ultimately it's just about sharing who we are as people and yeah like I said we're really really grateful that Shora have given us this opportunity and supported us since day one. Obviously it's been been amazing that shore have backed us from the start and all the way through this now but exciting to have them be alongside us for this exciting summer of football and they'll be with us every step of the way so we're grateful for them to be alongside us sharing this journey as well

so thanks again to shore and thank you all for tuning in. We hope you're enjoying your Air Canada flight. Rocky's vacation, here we come. Whoa, is this economy? Free beer, wine, and snacks. Sweet. Fast free Wi-Fi means I can make dinner reservations before we land. And with live TV, I'm not missing the game. It's kind of like I'm already on vacation. Nice.

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it's never ordinary at Bet365. Must be 19 or older, Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you or someone you know has concerns about gambling, visit connectsontario.ca Hey everyone, welcome to the Restless Football Daily Brightness. This is one of our favourite ones. It's a Q&A episode and we've got some amazing questions for you all. Rach, good to see you again. Good to see you but I think

before we go into the Q&A and make it a little bit more light-hearted I think we do need to probably touch on the news that you revealed today that you are out of selection for the Euros. I think that's obviously again I spend my days praising how proud I am of you but again another one that I'm super proud of but do you want to touch on that a little bit just to give the listeners a bit more context yeah obviously a really really big and tough decision we all have to make big decisions um at some point in our lives you know not just our careers and for me at this moment in time yeah I just don't feel 100% mentally or physically in a position to go on and compete in a tournament and listen I think with the Lionesses and the squad

they have an unbelievable pool of players to choose from and I think we both know how much it takes to be at a tournament and to you know the things that you have to tolerate mentally physically the demands of it are incredibly high and I would see it as a little bit selfish to take up an opportunity in a position from somebody else when you know I'm not 100% there so yeah it definitely weren't a an easy decision and one that I take unlikely it was something that I'd spoken about with friends family you know the people around me and you, I gave it a lot of thought. But ultimately, I thought this was the best decision for the team, but also for myself. And using this summer to really just zone into, yeah, mentally, physically,

getting myself back in tip-top condition and just happy again, I think, all around, just feeling like myself. So, yeah, it's obviously hard, but I'm going to be the girls' number one supporter and I know they're going to go on and smash it. Well, again, I'm proud of you for doing that. It's not an easy thing. I know you would not have taken that lightly at all.

Well, I mean, I know firsthand because I've been there with you through it, but proud of you again. And, yeah, the demands in a tournament for people that aren't aware of that is something that you can't really explain to anyone else unless you've been there. I think mentally it's harder than it is physically,

regardless of what tournament it is, where you're at, and being away from your loved ones, your family and friends for that long when you're not 100% mentally prepared to sacrifice everything. It's difficult. So it's a a really i've said it today on instagram brave bold and courageous decision and i'm really proud of you thanks bestie but anyway less of me because i hate that you know that we're moving on to the light-hearted stuff the fun stuff let's get the q a let's get the questions right mill, first question is from Claire, and she said, who will be your first real life... Sorry, everybody, I'm wetting myself

because we were about to start the first question and Rachel, as she does, heard a noise and it was the ice cream man and she wanted an ice cream, but we then decided it wasn't very appropriate for her to be sat licking an ice cream on the pod. I was imagining Rachel sat there while we're trying to do the questions with a Mr. Whip. Yes.

Right, that's the question. Who will be your first real life guest on the podcast and will they be a teammate, friend or celebrity? You hit us up with this one because I think I know what you're going to say. Are we giving it away? Well, it's unconfirmed, but it's what we would like to happen.

And also the people that are coming on have no idea and they don't actually get a say, which is quite funny. So I kind of want them to be listening, which I know they're going to be. And then they're going to be like, we're not doing that.

Take one wild guess, everybody. Just have three seconds to guess now and then see if you get it right. Three, two, one. Our mothers. our mums they're coming on the pod it's going to be chaotic and they're both going to be sat here listening go no we're not going on pod i'm not going on pod you must be joking me like lulu and nick you're coming on you're coming on pod so and don't be

trying to act like something you're not. Just be your authentic selves, please. Exactly. So, yeah, we're having our mums on. We think it's just the perfect start to, you know, having guest appearances. And honestly, them two together are just hilarious, aren't they, Rach? I'm not telling my mum, though.

Don't tell your mum, because when they listen to this tomorrow morning, they're going to be like, Huh? You got something to tell us? We can't wait. They'll be taking over the podcast., you got something to tell us? We can't wait. They'll be taking over the podcast. People will want them more than us. I don't know. Anyway, we've got Sian from Leeds

and I'm going to read it exactly how she's wrote it down because she's Northern like us. Hey up. Have either of you ever done the Otley Run in Leeds? If yes, did you dress in costume? Now, I don't actually know what the Otley Run is, so. I can't believe that. It's historic.

Sorry. Basically, right, Mil? You'd absolutely love it. It's a pub crawl around Leeds, and you just get absolutely trollied all day long, and you dress up in costumes. So when are we doing it then? I've never done it, but I've always wanted to do it,

but it's always crossed over something where I've never been able to do it. Also probably we would probably get highly judged doing something like that but when are we doing it? When's the next

Otley run? Alright we'll find out when the next run is. Me and Rachel doing the Otley run. What are you

going to be wearing? What are we going as? I think Mario and Luigi. Yeah I could be Bowser though easy. Alright then.

I'll be Yoshi then. Perfect. Yoshi! What does Bowser do? All I could think Bowser though, easy. All right then. I'll be Yoshi then. Perfect. Yoshi! What does Bowser do? All I could think about was then... All I've got in my head then, and it's not Bowser, but remember we were doing that TikTok with Beth and Ellen,

and he was like... My name is Chucky. I said like that. What was it? My name is Lala. I smell like that. What was it? My name is Lala. Lala. Lala. My name is Boom. I kept doing this.

We need to get that to resurface. So it must be still on our TikToks. Oh my God, that was so funny. I found it. Yeah, we need to get that back on. Where's mine? Come on. Ages yet. Now.

Oh, it's funny. Right, this is actually a good question. It's quite relative to the current situation. Is mental wellbeing something you can openly talk about in the dressing room slash amongst teammates? Do you feel like there is change in how mental wellbeing-being is being approached by clubs and country over the last couple of years that is a really really good question and you know what when people ask these sorts of questions it really makes you think about like you've just asked that and i'm like oh i don't actually know and you know what i'd? I'd say players are really good at checking in on each other,

but I'd still say when you're in that environment, like when you're going to training, you're in training mode. So I don't think, and I can only speak from my experience, but when I go into club, obviously I've got my, everyone's really close, but then you've got your little, your mates that you always go to every day. we would always make sure we always say you want a coffee and that would be our time to check in but other than that I'd say in the changing room it's actually hard to have those sorts of conversations when you're at training does that make sense yeah I feel like

it's not something that you just like openly discuss I mean you might show your closest friends but I do think clubs I don't know i'm sure chelsea is the same but i think at villa like i think it's we're really well supported in terms of if you need help or anything like that i think they've done a really good job of having safeguarding people and like we've just obviously got a player support in who that kind of covers both sort of roles i think that before having a well- wellbeing person or a safeguarding person, I don't think, I don't actually remember what it was like, but I think every club should have one

because it's important to be able to speak to somebody that also isn't directly related to football, like, you know, like your teammates. It's not as easy to speak to your teammates sometimes, is it? But I do think they are open to listen and have that conversations. But I think like safeguarding meetings and you know stuff like that are quite helpful so I think it has got better I think there's a lot of work that

probably does need to be done as well because also as a player you don't want to speak to someone I don't want to speak to someone if I think that's going to get back to the manager because yeah I would certainly panic and be like oh god if my manager thinks I'm like not in a good place, then I'm not going to play. Or they think I'm not capable. Or like, I also think as a, as a person,

you remove yourself from a work environment. You're more likely to like open up, but I've always got therapy outside of training. Like I've never done it through training. I've always like done it personally and like in a private setting. That's just my personal preference. I don't think I would ever go at club. I don't know.

When I go there, I feel like I get into like my role. It's just for everyone's different, aren't they? But I think it has got a lot better over the years in terms of giving you that space to be able to speak and have somebody to talk to if you need to speak to them. Good question. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, really good question. You okay, bestie?

Do you need a drink? I've got something rattling in my ear and I've got something in my throat. Right, guys, as you can hear, Rachel's got a frog in her throat and it's Freddie from abroad, so we're going to take a quick break. We're going to take a quick break

and we'll be back soon for more questions. Welcome back, guys. The frog has disappeared from my throat. I am back and ready for action. Millie, hit me. Ooh, favourite type of crisps? Ooh, that is a question. That might be one of the best questions because we love crisps.

There aren't many that I dislike I'll be honest but I think it depends on my mood right so I'm all for anything that's just full of flavour

so salt and vinegar squares oh my god burn my tongue bang in burn my tongue Rachel what are the ones

from Marks and Spencer's Marks and Spencer's Twizzlers salt and vinegar we used to get packs and packs of them but anything that like burns my, give it to me. All right, let's do top two because I've got two.

The Twizzlers, Marks and Spencer's, Twizzlers, Salt and Vinegar and Cheesy What's It's. They are nice, but I can't bear the dust on my fingers. I know what you're saying. Just another one of Rachel's things for anyone listening. She can't stand noises. She can't stand for anyone listening. She can't stand noises. She can't stand people crunching. She can't stand like dust on her fingers.

I think it's just a sensory overload for me. But hey, surely there's got to be something that you can eat Chris with if you like. Or like a litter picker. I'd get well pissed off. I'd lose it in the bag. Yeah. Right, mine I'm going to have to go like strong strong flavor like discos or squares salt and vinegar yeah and then see this is this is where i'm stuck because it's

all about the mood that i'm in so i'm just gonna go with this one because go with what you're in right now chili heat wave doritos with sour cream dip nice i couldn't do chili heat wave because my mouth would be on fire but i rate the dip and I rate the retails. You can have cool original. Oh, I can do tangy. Tangy cheese. Tangy cheese. Right, this question is so that last question was one that we would like, right? This one is evil.

Evil! Like, I'm fuming at this question. Would you rather lose your sight or your memories? That's horrible. Well well we've only got ourselves to blame because we did ask the fans to send in

wood giraffas yeah but maybe not that nasty this is nasty this is what you want from a wood giraffa right you want to

sit here and be like ponder it holy shit which one do I pick if I pick that I'm cancelled if I pick that nasty

I'm gonna have to go memories because I just need my eyesight. See, I can't lose my memories. Because if I lost my memories, I'd have nothing left of my dad. Oh, now I feel like a real shitty person. No, it's fine. We're different. But it's so hard because then I can never create any more memories that I can see.

That's what I was just going to say. Then at least if I remove my memories, I've still got my eyesight where I can see things and picture things again. I can't predict what's going to happen in the future, so what's the point in worrying about seeing them? But my memories are already there. I've already made them. Who asked that question?

Ugh, L's. We're coming for you. Nasty girl. Yeah, I'm going to stick with it though. I'd rather lose my memories. Okay. I'd rather lose my memories. Okay, I'd rather lose my sight. Best food after a night out. Best food after a night out.

I'm a sucker for having a Domino's, you know, and I don't care what time it is. You love Domino's, don't you? Could be 10am, 11am. And I'd just have a plain margarita pizza, please. Oh. I love an Indian. So me, Sarah, our friend Ryan,

there's an Indian in where I'm from called Jalali. Can you just explain, is this on the night out or is this the day after when you're hanging? It's not a night out food. If I was going out till like 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, I'm not going to go get an Indian. I would get pizza. But if I was going out like three o'clock in the afternoon

and go out all day and I'm ending my night, we're going to Indian. Right. Oh, keeping you up, are we? Sorry, darling, it's been a bit of a hectic week. The next day, it depends what state I'm in, I suppose. Yeah, see, I just know Domino's is safe. Sometimes I can't eat for a while.

I actually usually typically can't get my head off the pillow because it feels like a bowling ball. If you were to spend the day together, what would you do? I don't think we've had a day together for a long time where we've not had to do things. Do you know what? I just had a flashback, though, when you came over to mine and we were playing on Just Dance.

Playing on Just Dance and I've got a video. I've still got the video of us doing calypso don't you dare put that anywhere i am you better wait probably it would probably either go do something crazy i reckon probably end up getting a tattoo or something take the dogs maybe take the dogs for a nice walk go for a coffee go for a pub lunch pub lunch we'd do, pub lunch. We'd do pub lunch, wouldn't we? We'd do pub lunch in the little Guinness. Oh, yeah. We did that last time, actually. We didn't have a day together, but we had an evening together.

Pub dinner it was, wasn't it? As long as we're together, we don't care what we do. As long as we're in each other's company. That's all that matters. Right, next question. What cars do you have? Is it your dream car? If not, what is?

Me and Rach love cars. I am obsessed with cars. I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I've always liked cars, thanks to my dad. Cheers, dad. I've got a black BMW X6. I like being up high. I don't like being low to the ground.

I have a Tesla Y. It's wrapped. They make me feel a bit sick though, Bestie'm not gonna lie when they go no but you it's no see this is what happened to me this is what happened to me right i got in a tesla and i was like can't do it feel sick you know what we're like by the way for anyone listening me and millie both get ridiculously car sick when we're not driving ridiculously car sick and i was a passenger in the Tesla, in my brother's Tesla, and I was like, I feel sick.

I can't, you're going to have to slow down. Like, I can't. And he wasn't even going fast. But it's the way you drive it. Like, I've been in a Tesla taxi and I'm like, ugh. Yeah, can't stand it. No, but it's not like that. Get in my car, bestie, I'll show you.

It's not like that. So basically all the taxi drivers are shit. Yeah. But I absolutely love my car like what's your dream car i do feel like mine is a bit of like i'm very satisfied with my car and i won't ever drive anything else but if i could pick any car and click my fingers i'd have a rolls. Unbelievable. Big, fat, chunky motor. Lovely. I think my dream car is a Land Rover Defender. Yeah, you've always said that, to be fair.

I absolutely love them. But I'm very content with my Tesla. I think it was the hardest thing initially, because I had my BMW going from that to electric. But now I'm just like, I don't know how I would go back to petrol and diesel and stuff like that now. I love it.

Oh, I just love, I love being high up. I love like, do you know what I love hearing as well? Cars roar. Yeah, when you don't get that in an electric car, it's silent. Yeah, it's a bit dangerous to hear that

because I need to hear it like, I want to hear that engine. Yeah. I'm getting all giddy now. I feel like I need to go and raz it around somewhere. Right. What makes the best full English breakfast? Right. giddy now I feel like I need to go and raz it around somewhere right what makes the best

full English breakfast right bacon sausage beans hash brown yeah

fried egg gotta have fried egg if you're having a proper full English it's a fried egg some people have scrambled and poached but it's fake

it's not if you're gonna go fattening you might as well go all out. Do you have tomatoes? Absolutely hate warm tomatoes. I'd have tomatoes on mine. What sauce are you having? I'd have brown sauce on my beans. Yeah, brown. Okay, good.

And then toast. Toast. But I like... What else would I... Absolutely no black pudding. Thank you. That is disgusted. You can keep that for the bin. Not for me.

That's not in my dream fry-up. Good question, though. Yeah. Right, Millie. Would you rather name your kid after me or get a tattoo of my face? Do you know what? I'd happily do both.

It's not even a would you rather, I'd have your face plastered on my arse cheek. Oh, it's been full of shit, you, haven't you? Just wiping a bit of shit off, there she goes. I would, I'd happily get your... I'd happily get your I'd happily get your face tattooed somewhere but I would happily

name my child after you as well well I already have ideas of what I'd call my child and Millie's not one of them so I'll get your face tattooed I mean it could be the middle name yeah true

Rachel's not a great name you wouldn't want to call your kid Rachel thanks a lot, Rachel. Thanks to you, my... What's she say again? Thanks a lot, Rachel. Thanks to you, my iPhone won't charge because it got used to your charger instead of mine.

Not charging my iPad and it's all your fault. Your fault. I swear we did a TikTok with that as well. Yeah, I think we did. No, I like your name. Aw, that's cute. I don't dislike your name. It just wasn't on my list.

You know what's coming next though, don't you? The fans are going to want to see the tattoo. Yeah, get it done. Do you know what we could get? We could get a really cool, you know, like the fine line tattoos. We could get someone to draw our faces just like the lining. Oh, like on the side? We could merge them together and it's actually our face shape.

All right, I'll do that. Right, last question, yeah? I'm going to let you answer this one because I'm going to ask it because I want you to answer it. Have you ever found yourselves in trouble together? I just imagine that creepy music coming on then when I'm giving the side eye. Yes, absolutely. and rach are always

do you know what with with those two people where you're in a situation and you shouldn't laugh but you laugh that sort of oh yeah all the time and one thing that definitely springs to mind i know what you're gonna say millie was extremely drunk rachel was extremely drunk but millie was extremely drunk Rachel was extremely drunk but Millie was you know intoxicated everything was resurfacing we'd just won the Euro so get off my case if you're coming for me I'd do it all over again

no regrets and we were heading home after becoming European Championships absolutely sloshed. Becoming European Championships Champions sorry it's been a long day in European Championships, absolutely sloshed. Becoming European Championships? Champions. Sorry, it's been a long day. Oh, bless you. Becoming European Champions.

And we were in this taxi and I was like, oh, Rachel, I don't feel good. It's going to happen. And obviously you're not allowed to be sick in the car. So she said, excuse me, mate, can we just pop the window down? So he puts the window down. So I stick my head out just in case and then he slammed his brakes on freaking heck i nearly went through the front of the seat i nearly broke my neck and my head's still out the window could

have chopped my head off so he then kicks us out and rachel was like from what i can remember so please help me out rach he was like uh get get out. We're literally on the main roundabout. Like, get out, get out. In the middle of London, by the way. In the middle of London. So Rachel was like, she hasn't been sick. I've not even been sick. I just felt sick.

So we get out anyway. Rachel's still complaining because he's just dropped us off in the middle of nowhere and we're on the main roundabout. And she just got her new trainers. What trainers were they, Rach? Siagas. Brand new,

like off-whites, like really, really nice, like fresh, clean trainers. And I'm then at this point holding onto lampposts, throwing up, and Rachel's arguing with the taxi man and he runs...

I literally have the tyre print still on those shoes the window's down these two are bickering and he runs over her shoe and she's going you're on my trainers all I kept doing

I was like this and I'd look up and I'd just see Rachel going you're on my trainers my new train and I'd look up and I'd just see Rachel going, you're on my trainers, my new train. And I'd look back down and this big fat tyre, this dirty tyre was just plastered straight on top of the train. Because they're such big shoes, aren't they?

So like, I didn't feel it at first. And I was like, I tried to get out of the way. And I was like, my shoes, you're on my trainers. And he was like, I tried to get out of the way. And I was like, my shoes! You're on my trainers! And he was going, no, no, out of the taxi. I was like, I'm out of the taxi. I can't get out of the road. We don't have much luck with taxis, do we?

It was the funniest thing ever. And then I remember saying, do you think, did someone run over your shoe? And I was like, oh, shit, yeah, I forgot about that. Oh, it was so funny. But also, can we just bear in mind that he was actually on her trainer for like a long time. I was like, my foot is under your tyre. You're trying to hold me up

and then you're trying to shower him and get your shoe out from underneath the tyre. I think my Uber rating got shot after that to be honest yeah it did you had a really good Uber rating

but anyway that's just one example of us getting in trouble but technically it weren't our fault great time so funny best night ever

right I think that's all we've got time for they were unbelievable questions today guys thank you really good guys thanks for your questions make sure you keep

sending them in and we will see you very soon take care have a nice weekend