Millie Bright: Chelsea captain 'hugely disappointed' by insults after WSL win over Aston Villa

Chelsea captain Millie Bright has expressed her "huge disappointment" after hearing abusive language directed at her following the team's 1-0 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday. The England defender revealed that a fan, after requesting a photo and autograph, made expletive-laden comments about her first-half performance.

Bright posted on Instagram on Monday, stating, "Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I actually don’t mind what is said, but more so that this came after they asked for a picture and autograph." She emphasized, "Please let me remind everyone that as players, we are not collectibles, we are not robots, we are humans just like you."

Earlier this season, Chelsea decided to stop players signing autographs and taking photos with fans at their home ground, Kingsmeadow, citing that it was "no longer safe or sustainable." Despite this, players still choose to interact with fans after matches. Bright added, "Every game after the match, we as players choose to give you our time, support and generosity to take pictures, sign autographs, and talk because we care and respect you coming to support us."

Bright also stated, "Every game we give our all, it’s not always pretty or perfect, but please remember we are giving everything to be the best we can be, for you. So this experience was extremely disappointing, especially coming from a fan in the Chelsea section." She urged fans to "be more mindful of your comments."

Furthermore, an own goal by Villa player Sarah Mayling helped the Blues extend their unbeaten run in the Women's Super League this season. As five-time defending champions, Chelsea leads the Women's Super League by 7 points and has conceded only 6 goals in 13 games, with Bright having featured in all of those matches.