The Rest Is Football: Daly Brightness - Millie’s Off To Wembley, Magic Agyemang & Hidden Tattoos

Episode Date: April 15, 2025

How did that ‘Chelsea mentality’ help them overcome Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final? What makes Michelle Agyemang so special at such a young age? How did Millie come across a hidden tattoo of Rachel’s when sharing a room on England duty? Rachel & Millie also discuss a big win for Aston Villa before the international break and how a team bonding session the night before proved pivotal. 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 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 Shaw 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 Shaw and thank you all for tuning in. Must be 19 or older. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you or someone you know has concerns about gambling, visit connectsontario.ca. Hello and welcome to the Rest Is Football Daily Brightness. I'm Millie Bright. And I'm Rachel Daly. And this is our brand new show discussing all the big headlines and topics in the world of football.

Also giving you an insight into our professional lives as footballers and our friendship. This is our new adventure into the podcasting world. However, for those that don't know, or maybe you did know, before Daily Brightness Rach was something for us where we checked in all about mental health um having that support system so on each episode we're gonna have a little check-in so how are you how's life what you've been up to good living the dream just you know surviving holidays maybe thriving going on a holiday you know in my spare time but no good. Ready to get rolling with this now. And obviously it's been a long time coming for me you on holiday relaxing but yeah um i think everything's really good in in life hectic but calming the chaos some would say love that let's

maybe go back to like how we first met because i feel like it's one of them things that people just assume it's like yeah a normal story or maybe they just want to know a bit more about how we first met but i think everyone's initial thing is they think we grew up together because of how close we are and Yorkshire accent yeah from the same part of the country crazy very similar as people literally get on like a house on fire and everyone just assumes that we grew up together and we really didn't football is what brought us together isn't it it is and yeah we started our england career together i actually used to play for lincoln and i played for donny and use the loud mouth at the back number three don't sound like me not at all i think you're

mistaking me for someone else you were always the loudest player on the pitch always and i was like god you always you always stood out for that reason i was like that always made me giggle so yeah we actually bizarrely played against each other without actually being friends and then and I was like, God, you always stood out for that reason. I was like, that always made me giggle. So yeah, we actually bizarrely played against each other without actually being friends. And then England was where, yeah, the friendship really started. Yeah, I don't really know how the official moment of when we became friends, and I always go back to when we trained in Spain, I think at Real Madrid's training ground or something like that.

I've got a picture to that. Yeah, in that red jacket. I had the raincoat on. Do you have the raincoat on? Yeah, and I just looked at that not long ago and I was thinking, I think that was the camp where I was just like, I heard you say something and I was laughing and then you laughed at me

and then it was just like, I want to be mate. I want to be my roommate every camp. And I think we just hit it off from there, didn't we? And then I think everyone was probably just very annoyed by us for the foreseeable. Yeah, and if we had a quiet day everyone's like have you fell out yeah no just batteries are a little bit low but we're recharging and we'll be back soon don't worry we did fall out one time for 15 minutes well yeah we just didn't speak 15 minutes then we're like we're bored now are we done are we done miss you come back please but yeah I think just

the beauty of football and how it brings people together. And yeah, now life without you is not a possibility and you literally know. Don't be silly. Don't be silly. You know everything about me inside and out. And yeah, I couldn't go through life without you.

So you're the first person I turned to in crisis, but also the person I want to share all my good news with. I think that's the beauty of it like football has always been the like our constant like it's always brought us together but the majority of our conversations are not about football and I think that's probably I remember specifically in that hotel at Wembley when we decided to come up with Daily Brightness yeah and I remember going to get all the stationery still do that i've actually bought you a notebook with me i bought you one yeah and it's a little notebook it says bright ideas on it oh so love stationary but we've got all the all the gear no

idea i mean it's like we're just gonna start this like don't knock ourselves gonna start this whole like business venture but not really a business but more like, it was so important to us to like, actually just connect with each other and the fans and like other people around us. And yeah, like you said at the start, just checking in and things like that. And I think that's kind of probably what's kept us so close. Cause if you just talk about football all the time,

I wouldn't be speaking to you. I'd be like, or, or next. Not actually a football fan. You know that. Yeah. That's weird,

but no, it's not. It's very, but we don't very but I like that because I think that yeah as much as like football was the thing that brought us together

like it isn't what holds us together no I am you're the reason no I'm joking so what am I I'm like

I'm like the glue and you're like the blue tack alright but I think yeah like I said about football it's just like one of them things that we're so blessed to have had the life that we've had with football and the fact that it brought us together but there's so much more to us and that's

why I think this podcast is going to be amazing for us like yeah we'll talk about football but yeah there's also so much more to us as people the ups and the downs like you've been there at my lowest points in my life which I'm obviously eternally grateful for but I think just being able to share some of those things has been important for both of us yeah definitely I think that's the important thing for the for anyone listening before kind of the podcast it was about always giving back and just being

being there for people that needed someone to talk to really the messages that messages that we used to get and people used to say how much it meant that we just sat and read their message and just heard them, really. And being heard is massively important in this world. And I think society is really difficult at times to exist and to be the person that you want to be. So I always feel like people are related to Daily Brightness as a safe space, which was really a proud moment for us. And we want that to be continued on the podcast we want to talk about all our experiences and actually that football is not all sunshine and roses and

there's been some really dark times for both of us and yeah without our friendship we yeah we probably wouldn't be sat here today to be honest so i think that's the highlight for me but yeah we can't wait to share everything with you. We've got lots to talk about. Should we finish with a little funny story? I've got mine. I bet it's going to be a smoothie story, isn't it? Oh, I've got two then.

Go on then. My first one was when I first, we were late for a meeting. Actually, we were rushing. We didn't realise what time it was. And this is when we used to share rooms. And you'd be my only roommate. Everyone knows that. You're the only person i'm sharing a room with and you were quickly i was actually having a wee and you were quickly getting a shower and i was like have you got yolo on your bum cheek how are you gonna tell me like this on the first episode i'm giving the

fans what they want rachel has a yOLO tattoo on her right bum cheek. Left. And I was like, is it left bum cheek? I was like, is that YOLO on your bum cheek? I was like, quick anyway, we're late for the meeting. But yeah, and then just moments like that, I'm like, yeah. It is little moments like that. I just forgot about that.

Yeah, I have not forgot about that. I've got a bit red now. We'll share a picture, don't worry, everybody. I always think about stuff like that. Like, it's the little, like, hidden moments that no one would ever know. And, like, how many times we've come out of our room just absolutely creasing and people just like, what is wrong with them? Yeah, but then we share the story and they go...

Like, do you remember in Qatar when we had to share a bath? If you've not shared a bath, are you best bestie you're not really a bestie what happened it was like we were going out i'm not sure like we're going out for the evening i think we were rushing again yeah but i think we were like late from training we're going out for the evening bearing in mind it's like 40 degrees and it's red hot and the humidity so we like to have to hurry up getting shower changed yeah you know what our hair goes like in that kind of weather and i think that was something i think something was wrong with the shower we're basically and i got in the bath and then you were like i need to go in the bath because i need to get ready my hair takes longer than you and then all of a sudden

in walks you it's just completely naked and just got in the bath and I'm like right then so we're clearly best friends from here on out and we had a bath and we were

probably one of the first ones ready weren't we yeah we were and then that's just I think that's become it were funny that's like our

therapy time though I know we were just sat there I remember just sitting there looking at you in the bath thinking what are we doing

how have we got here? Oh, yeah. So that's my funny story. It is moments like that, though, because I can literally be like my authentic self, like completely. And you find me hilarious. Yeah, zero judgment is so important.

So important. Right, we could talk about funny stories about me and you all day. So we'll save them for the future. But let's turn our attention to some of the recent football better start with a certain someone beating liverpool to go through to the final another final how was that game you went one nil down yeah it was intense you know i think you you will appreciate this the first game back off international is the hardest game like you're all coming back from different places, different travel, different games,

different styles of play. So getting your club hat back on and getting on the same page is really difficult. But to be honest, they were really tough to play against. And I think we actually had a good game. We conceded, they scored a really good goal, but it was a brilliant ball

through and obviously everyone knows that Olivia Smith is doing really well and she's quick and clinical and she's a real bright young talent coming through so we just got caught on but that really was the only time I think that they had in the first half managed to pull one back just before half time again creating loads of opportunities but just not as ruthless in that final third that that we want to be but always having that grit and determination and that Chelsea mentality really to you know what those games are like you just do anything to win and whether it's scrappy scruffy football like you just need to win but I do think we actually dominated um the game and yeah we had all the ball and lots of opportunities we just weren't ruthless enough I'm not gonna lie I only watched the first 20 minutes yeah we had all the ball and lots of opportunities we just weren't

ruthless enough I'm not going to lie I only watched the first 20 minutes because we had a friendly that's fine we had to leave and watch

you're also a professional athlete I understand the first thing I said when I came off the pitch was what was the Chelsea score and then it was I heard it was 2-1

like late as well yeah 94th minute yeah crazy but it's one of them where I just always refer to Chelseaelsea as just

having this like elite winning mentality like you always find a way to get it done there's never a doubt in my mind you're not going to win or even if you go one no down like you're going to pull it back you just have that like winning mentality that you're just always going to pull through so i just thought one nil down whatever like they'll still win it's fine so i didn't even feel the need to check but i did ask straight away when we when we finished but what was that like winning it's fine so i didn't even feel the need to check but i did ask straight away when we when we finished but what was that like winning it's so sweet winning late as well isn't it yeah and literally just before aggie had scored so she scored 94th minute before that she had three opportunities and i could see the frustration like building it called her out you know she came up to me after she was like about time she's like fourth time looking so it was funny like but i think she's

another bright young talent and you know she puts a lot of pressure on herself and she always wants to like deliver for the team and I think she's got a great attitude great mentality but I think like you said there's always that belief that we would score it was just at what moment and who's going to stick it in the back of the net and yeah she stepped up yet again and delivered but it was funny because she did have three massive opportunities before that and I could see she was bubbling

and bubbling I think that's what's also good about being on a team like Chelsea it's like you most teams just create like one or two three or four

big chances a game and you've got to convert them to get anywhere near you guys but I feel like you always just create and create and create and you just get that

feeling that it's going to come so even her having three late on at least she got the fourth one that mattered but like you say bright young talent she's going to come so even her having three late on at least she got the fourth one that mattered but like you say bright young talent

she's going to be great and I think what a better club to be at Glad I didn't go extra time though I don't think you'd have survived to be honest well you wouldn't be here

today would you? I would be here today I'll power through I'll power through So what's your thoughts obviously Man United I suppose at least

it's better than playing City for the 94th time this season. A fan asked me after the game, they're like, who would you prefer? And I was like, United. I can't play City again. Four in a row was enough for me. That was a madness, honestly.

Watching those four games. I just don't know how you all did it. It was crazy. It was honestly the wildest thing that I've ever experienced in football. And I don't think any team has ever had to play them four times in a row. It was honestly the wildest thing that I've ever experienced in football. And I don't think any team has ever had to play them four times in a row. It was honestly wild. But weirdly, each game was so different.

Yeah, we had the terrible pitch for the cup final, which I don't think is acceptable. But I think a lot of players and managers made enough noise about it for hopefully it not to happen again. So we had that and then we had away away and then home so i'm delighted that it's united at wembley in the final um yeah i can't wait buzzing get back to it so in another final for you to be in anyway less attention on me more attention on you you know i don't like the spotlight a massive result last time for yous

out against liverpool yeah you know what? Massively needed three points. Obviously, we spoke not long before that, didn't we? And I was a bit worried about where we were in the state of the league. We were only one point above Palace at that point. So going into that game, I think it was the first time it felt a little bit different. I felt like the buzz around it was a bit more relaxed

rather than it's a cup final in our minds that we need to win all these games. And it's almost like you looked at it in a way that, okay, we might not win every game from here on out, but we don't need to. We just need to get more points than Palace. And I think that's where the mentality shift was kind of like, just felt a bit calmer.

The noise around the game just felt a lot more less tense. And I think it was one of the first games where I felt like, even when we went 1-0 down, I was like, we'll be fine and I haven't had that feeling in a long time and I think loads of the girls sort of said that as well but did you see the goal how we went 1-0 down? It was like the story

of the season I literally saw it happen and I was like it was so unlucky one of our players had kicked it off another player like mishitting it came off another player and then just went away and then like one-on-one and then got brought down in the box i'm just like this is like the epitome like it's we've not we've not really conceded many chances in this game but that's how you've scored like that's how you've got a penalty but i was

just again it was one of them where i was just like it's fine we're fine yeah which again that's like i say i haven't felt like that in a long time so that's a massive boost though yeah so I mean obviously like Kirsty came on Kirsty Hansen came on and just I mean

the angle of her goal was outrageous I don't even know how it went in like it was a worldie yeah I did see the celebrations

though took it round the keeper and then the maddest angle but really good for her to come on and get that goal and then

Ebony Salmon loads of little tricks and you know she's like pace for days so created something out of nothing really and like put it across the face of goal and went in as an own goal but i think it's in the back of the net yeah exactly so i think and then like that along with being able to see the win out you know like holding the ball in the corner like it's like that kind of stuff that we've not been able to do for so long because ultimately we haven't been in the position to be like wasting time at the end of the game and stuff. So one, it was massive for the three points,

but two, the state of going into the international break, like everyone's going away happy in their camps. Like the people who don't go away, me, get to just go back and enjoy a bit of time. Sending me pictures on holiday. Yeah, exactly. While I'm literally slogging away everybody part hanging on for dear life

I've been there we'll stitch it back up don't worry just put a plaster on it it'll be alright but you have got Lucy Stanback obviously a massive player for you guys lots of experience been out a little while with injury that's surely got to be a big boost I think that was a massive boost for us

it's been obviously frustrating to not have her around every day even in training and obviously she's there every day but i mean like in and around the group at training and being on the pitch so to have her back was massive like you could just tell like she's a big character yeah um she actually put on a quiz the night before that game it was her first away trip back so she put on a big fun quiz pg i'll have to say i can't say anything on here what happened in the quiz but um tiny little insight maybe me and on a sorry lucy and anna pat and they put on a a good little fun team bonding thing so i think that probably got everyone a bit more in the spirit did you feel like you needed that yeah definitely you know me

i was i was still like oh do we have to do this it's one of those moments where no one wants to do team bond but then you do it you love it you're like you prop it into it exactly my team won so that was great um but yeah winners my like having her back was so great and obviously like being standing captain now and having her as part of the leadership group as well was helpful for me. And it's just a massive presence and such a good footballer. So I think that definitely was a boost for everyone to have Lucy stand back. Definitely. Right, Rach, I think it's time for us to take a short break. But when we come back, we're going to be talking all things international.

And we're definitely going to be talking about a certain someone and their retirement and all the glorious things you now get to experience and i have to sit and watch and receive pictures of and videos but yeah we'll be back soon see you in a bit welcome back to the rest is football daily brightness i know millie you said we'll talk about me but that is old news let's talk about current affairs and your recent games against Belgium because I know you love playing teams back to back let's talk about another one the first one obviously Belgium at home at Bristol massive 5-0 win that was such a good game and honestly it's so far away as well but the fans were incredible like the turnout was so so good but really enjoyable game I think you know some might say a little bit of a tricky period for us we probably had good performances

and then maybe next time we have a little dip and then we perform again and then we have a dip but it felt like we'd picked up where we left off against Spain and it just felt like it clicked and you know we found our rhythm and our momentum and you know five goals impressive I think finding that clinical edge is important as you know as a striker but yeah it was a really fun game to play in and I think we made some huge steps forward which obviously moving towards the summer is really important but ultimately getting the win is the most important thing but yeah it's a really really good night yeah and then I think flip it I think I know like how it feels to go back to back, especially international level and things like that.

But obviously the team wasn't changed drastically for the second game, but as an outsider looking in the fans are probably going, well, what was so wrong? Like you won five nil. Now you're losing. Like what happened? Like you've gone from a five nil win to a three,

two loss. Yeah. There's how there's different factors that can contribute to that. It's not just about, oh, you've won five nil. So you're guaranteed to win five a 3-2 loss. Yeah. How there's different factors that can contribute to that. It's not just about, oh, you've won 5-0, so you're guaranteed to win 5-0 the next game. Yeah, and that would be so naive to have that mentality, which we definitely didn't have that mentality. We knew that they would potentially have players

coming back into their starting XI, which were massive assets for them and posed such a threat. And we knew we'd have to work twice as hard in the second game than the first game you know no team's gonna lose five nil and then just roll over and be like yeah do it again why not you know that just doesn't exist in football everyone has a bounce back and yeah I think we just started a little bit too slow we also had to adapt to injuries which is always difficult it allows an opportunity for other players to come into the starting XI. But yeah, it still is change.

You know yourself, it is hard to sometimes adapt to that. I'm not saying that was the reason we lost, but I think just changing itself is sometimes hard to find that rhythm again and new players coming into different positions. Ultimately, I think they had a really good game and if you look at the first three goals, it was three moments for them

and three goals that were extremely clinical. We could have defended a lot better, but we still had enough opportunities to come back and I think especially second half, being able to pull two goals back was really good. And to be honest, we want to go into the summer extremely challenged and we want to maybe be exposed a little bit

so that we can see where we need to improve and yeah as you know the women's game is growing faster and faster each international camp and yeah

teams are getting better and better and it's harder you know teams don't just roll over like you have to earn every goal

every clean sheet every performance like you have to earn every part of football There obviously were some really big positives

that came out of that game obviously it's hard to look at anything positive when you lose of course it is you're gonna just look back at the loss and the result whatever but 19 year old michelle adjimang like that was a story 40 seconds on the pitch scores an absolute worldie out of nowhere like that honestly i feel for a bit because like yeah she celebrated but like her first thought was to get the ball out of her neck and I love that from her but I think just like you want your first goal

to like imagine she's done that to win 4-3 at least but what a feeling for her that must have been I mean she was on under 19 camp like two days before

or whatever just qualified yeah just qualified for the Euros and then just gets called up to the seniors comes on and scores an absolute banger

like love that those are the stories I live for she's so good as well like so good obviously i'm quite strong and i came up against her in training and she is very very powerful and strong like you know there's so strikers that can get across here and get anything on it and i'm like oh my god it's in the back of the net like she's very very good but yeah i think her attitude to have qualified coming to the first team was like instant like she came in one session and then it's the game and probably never expected to even come on and yeah got a goal back which makes the scoreline

look a tiny bit better rather than it being 3-1 but yeah she is some player but i think it's so important for like serena and the team. It is a different environment. If you're not used to that kind of environment, like the high demands of being like at the actual top

and for her to come in and show herself like that was amazing. And also, as unfortunate as it is that we've had that many injuries, we,

like I'm still there. Hey Serena. Hey, actually. I'm going to leave my phone on loud for the next two months I know someone that plays in track

and she might be available to come back no but obviously like losing Lauren James and Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo in the game before

or the training camp before three massive massive losses don't know the extent of their injuries but three huge losses for you as people as players alongside you've already had Alex Greenwood been out for a while Georgia

Stanway being out for a while Lauren Hemp been out for a while so it's a perfect opportunity to see the likes of Michelle and the younger talent coming through it gave Aggie a start and you know it's nice to see that they can thrive in that environment as well. And going into a tournament, that's what you need. You need that, you know. Oh, everyone's got to be ready. That's the thing in tournaments. Anything can happen. Injuries can pop up at any given time.

That's the downside of sport. You know, it could happen on camp, off camp. Nobody knows. But like you said, everyone has now been given that opportunity. And I think they've showcased their talent as well, which is amazing. And I think, yeah, it's getting closer and closer to the tournament and everyone wants to get their foot in and make sure they're picked and on that plane.

But yeah, I think we've got some incredible talent. And like you said, circumstances, she probably might have wanted to celebrate that goal a little bit more, but one she'll never forget. One she'll never forget, like coming on in that state of the game and being able to do that was unbelievable, like crazy, crazy. It is time to talk about you, Rachel.

Let's talk about you and retirement. How have you dealt with that from international football? I've hated it. I'm going to start us off. I've hated it. I've had to adapt to this. I feel like I've lost someone. That's how I genuinely felt.

Like my whole camp and schedule like completely changed. Honestly, it took me a long, long time to adapt to that. So thanks. Well, I think it was also hard. We could have gone out together. Because you were injured for a significant part of the buildup of me retiring. So I spent like a good few months, I don't know how many months,

a lot of camps without you. And I was thinking, maybe you tipped me over the edge. Maybe you not been there. I was like, get out. My fault again. Yeah. Blame it on you.

Second bullet point. No, obviously I think it's always hard when we're not together on camps, isn't it? And we always found it difficult. It's probably because everyone was like, are you two all right? Are you okay? Millie's not here. Literally. That did annoy us not together on campus isn't it and we always found it difficult it's probably because everyone was like are you two alright are you okay Millie's not here

literally that did annoy us a little bit didn't it we can say it now I said that with such a sour taste in my mouth that was an annoying thing though whenever we had like

five minutes away like oh have you fallen out I know no or you Matt just needed to go to the toilet and I didn't really

want to take Rach with me it's the minute when like I'm on a count without you and it's like, are you all right? Are you depressed? Are you okay? Is everything okay? I'm like, yes. I love her.

She's my best friend, but I don't need her by my side every second of the day. It's fine. We're fine. I'm okay. Millie, where are you? She's FaceTiming me every night. But seriously, how was the transition? We spoke on numerous occasions about what you wanted to do, how was the transition? You know, we spoke on numerous occasions about, you know,

what you wanted to do, how you were feeling. And I felt helpless in that moment because I could never give you the answer. Like you had to make that decision yourself. And like I said, I would always stand by any decision that you made. But how was the transition? Because I don't think people really speak about that too much, to be honest. Yeah, I think it was weird because it was like once I'd retired, there was a few like interviews, whatever, all just asking sort of the same questions but

then it just kind of went away and no like it was never spoke about again which is absolutely fine but I think when we have these moments now and actually like reflect on it it is difficult you know I'd proper transition my whole life after that and you know how hard the decision was for me to make I didn't make that lightly I'd been thinking about it for a long time for months and months and months like so long yeah and I think you were probably the only one that really knew to the extent of how much I was feeling it and I had to you know I had to make that decision on my own like you said then like I could get advice I could get pushed in one direction in the other one but ultimately that was down to me and how I was feeling and I didn't want to go out

regretting a decision that I'd made because I listened to somebody else or it had to be literally from me and from the heart so really difficult decision but one that I think I'm proud of proud of my career that I had with England yeah but equally it's very hard like watching you in games and stuff it's just like I used to be there like even on the podcast I said we as if I'm in the England team do you know what I mean I don't think that

will ever change though I think we'll all I think when we all come to retire I think we'll always we'll always have that connection and that attachment like you are always

a lioness like that never your legacy will always remain and that will never disappear like ever that's really cute I know I'm a bit cute aww

you just touched my heart don't make me cry on camera so downtime what have you been doing because i know what you've been doing well yeah i think that's probably the beauty of retirement because it's weird isn't it's not many people retire from one and not the other yeah i wasn't ready to give up football that was the thing like i was it's almost like i've parted ways with one part of it but i've still got the other part and it gave me an opportunity to focus on club football but equally equally, I think for me, I've lived away for so long. So obviously I spent 10 years in America,

moved back to Villa. And I just kind of thought, I just want to settle now. Like I want to just, I can focus on club football. I'm sick of traveling around. Like I'm tired. And so now it's given me those opportunities to be back with my family. You know how hard it is, 10 days of nearly every month

you're going away with England. And as amazing as that was, and it's the most I've ever been proud in my life playing for England but being able to be with my family and spend time with them watch my nephew grow up has been amazing I've absolutely loved every minute of seeing him grow up which I wouldn't have been able to do as much as I do now but I've been loving life Millie. I've been on holidays. I've just got back from Mallorca. I'm very aware. Got a little tan. As you can see. It's a bit different though.

I'm sending you pictures of me drinking an Aperol Spritz on the beach. You've got all this to come Mill. Yeah. I'll be right there with you. Yeah. We'll do it together. We'll do it together one day. But no,

it's obviously, it's tough. Like there are days where I'll sit and think about it and it'll get me sad sometimes. But then I do look... My overriding feeling is pride. I'm proud of the achievements that I've had. I will say you've got your glow back. That's one thing I said to you.

That's probably the sun from Parma. Not what I was getting after, Rachel. What I was meaning is I think when you you've been through so much and you've probably not allowed yourself to go through all the things that you've you've faced over the last few years plus trying to be an international footballer and all the pressure at club like you've had so much change in your life I don't think you've allowed yourself to really like embrace like those those moments and i think you me knowing you as a person you're like poker face i've got to do this i've got to be

there for the team i've got to be there for mill i've got to be there for my family i've got to represent and when you retired when you finally came to see i knew it was right for you because after that you just got like this little little That new Lisa life. Little glimmer back. And I was like, oh, she's back. And the hardest thing is seeing someone that you care about go through a really tough time and not being able to influence or give you the answers or change the things that have happened is the hardest thing.

But yeah, I will say you have got your little... Well, now you've got your big glimmer back and your tan and oh that's nice yeah i think that's that's probably but it's nice to see i did feel like i don't know how long after the retirement maybe it was probably the first international break after that where it was a bit of like a yeah like a breather it's like okay what first of all what am i doing with my time where's my schedule what do i do yeah like i've got all these days of all, what am I doing with my time? Where's my schedule? What do I do? Yeah, like I've got all these days to do what? What am I doing?

Like I need to do something. I need to fill my time. But just a bit like, okay, I can sort of reflect now on my own career and like see the journey that I've been on because, like you said, it's not been the easiest. And look back to when my dad died. I was in camp two days later. So it was a time where i could like reflect

on that and yeah go through that and think about all those moments so no definitely massively proud of my career um with england and especially having you alongside me the whole way and um crazy but now i'll just be your biggest fan and probably stand with your mum screaming wow millie that's if she lasts in the stadium because normally she's pacing up and down the street outside. Yeah, she'd be hiding behind me. She's so nervous, bless her. Or she's probably shouting at the referee if they don't get a decision.

Hooligan family I've got. So another little insight. If anybody knows Rachel well enough, like I know her, they'll know that she's a die-hard Leeds United fan. Give us an update with retirement. Have you been checking in even more so now? Yeah, I've been able to go to a lot more games

which is nice can take my brother in the hospitality and treat him so it's nice I'll be buzzing with that free beer go on Andy

but it's a madness at the minute absolute madness there was a part of me where I was like gonna bottle it again and everyone's like Leeds are falling apart

I was like no no no not this year no and then Sheffield United lost yesterday and bottle it again and everyone's like, Leeds are falling apart. I was like, no, no, no, not this year. No. And then Sheffield United lost yesterday. Yeah.

Best bottom of the league. Bad loss for them. So five points at the top now with Burnley. So Easter Monday is going to be a big day. Sheffield United

and Burnley play each other after Leeds play. Are you stressed? Yeah. Being a Leeds fan has given me grey hair. Are you going to have your shirt on? Of course. Of course she does. I've still got my Leeds play are you stressed yeah being Leeds fan has given me grey hair are you going to have your shirt on

of course of course I've still got my Leeds shirt you know have you yeah oh nice I'll always have it

well you have to keep us updated with Leeds United oh I will you know I will but unfortunately that is all we've got time for for today's episode

of the rest is football daily brightness I hope you've enjoyed the show we'll be back on Thursday with a Q&A episode and if you want to get your questions in

please send them to daily brightness at goalhanger.com or on social media use the hashtag daily brightness have a great week everyone goodbye from me and

goodbye from me