Inside Lioness hero Lucy Bronze's low-key life from secret romance to real name

Lioness Lucy Bronze managed a Herculean 105 minutes as England triumphed over Spain in the European Championships final, having also damaged her right leg in the dramatic quarter-final win over Sweden.

That performance in the quarter-final summed up Bronze - scoring to bring the tie back to 2-1 before strapping up her leg for the winning penalty in the shootout, and perfectly fits in with her middle name - Tough.

Born Lucia Roberta Tough Bronze, the England icon was given her apt middle name as it is her mother Diane's maiden name. Bronze displayed more than her fair share of toughness as she revelled in England's penalty shootout triumph over Spain on Sunday.

Lucy, 33, is known as one of the world's top female footballers - boasting over 120 international appearances and a collection of silverware, including five Champions League crowns.

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The football star transferred to Chelsea in 2024 following her time at Barcelona, and her adaptability as a right-back or wing-back continues to prove invaluable for both club and nation.

Away from the football pitch, she was rumoured to be in a relationship with England's vice-captain and Chelsea player Keira Walsh, 28. In the summer of 2022, Bronze and Walsh both made the switch from Man City to Barcelona and competed in the World Cup as part of the Lionesses squad the following year.

The pair kept their rumoured romance relatively low-key and never publicly confirmed their relationship, but shared several cosy photos together on social media over the years. Some of which included sun-soaked getaways together, including a break to Lyon, France, in 2019 and a trip to LA in May 2022, where they struck a pose on the beach.

They've even spent time together with both their families, as a sweet Instagram snap showed Lucy and Keira beaming alongside their loved ones. While they never confirmed their relationship together or a split, things seemed to suddenly come to an end.

Despite their romance seemingly fizzling out, Lucy and Keira appear to remain amicable and are both part of the Lioness squad.

Lucy is now said to be romantically linked with Spanish footballer Ona Batlle, 26. While neither of the pair have confirmed their relationship, they have shared a series of sweet snaps together.

One social media post saw them on holiday together last month before the Euros kicked off in Switzerland. In the post, Lucy wrote: "Few days of sun," while Ona commented with a heart-eyed emoji. They even took a trip to Disneyland Paris together in December last year.

Meanwhile, Lucy recently opened up about her future and about starting a family of her own one day. In an interview with Women's Health, she shared: "I could get a corporate job. I could try to be part of the Federation or FIFA. I could help someone like Chelsea develop the women’s team."

The player added: "I wouldn't say there's something I'm dying to do, apart from have a family. My brother's got two kids and that's what I'm most jealous of, seeing my niece and nephew. But there's plenty of time for that – and what that looks like, I don't know."

In March this year, she revealed she was diagnosed with autism and ADHD back in 2021.

The news didn't come as a bombshell to those closest to her, as she recounted on : "I remember Demi (Stokes)... when I said it to her she was like 'obviously'. I got that reaction off everyone, my mum, my family."

Lucy confessed she had spotted the indicators herself before undergoing assessment, yet still felt misunderstood. "I remember when I was younger being treated a bit differently because of how I was acting," she said. "Growing up as a child that was misunderstood, I don't want that for anybody else."

The sports star now serves as an ambassador for the National Autistic Society, campaigning to boost understanding and challenge prejudice surrounding the condition. Although she was originally offered the option of medication for her ADHD, she declined after some thought, dubbing it her "superpower" on the pitch.

She said: "Everyone's like 'you're so passionate about football'. I don't know if I'd say I'm passionate, I'm just obsessed and that's my autism. I think it has made me so successful at football especially.

"Something that's really good for ADHD is exercise. Training every day is amazing for me. The girls are like 'are you sure you're 33? You just don't stop' and I'm like, 'That's my superpower'."

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