In their first photoshoot and interview together since it was announced that Lioness Rachel Daly was leaving her US team to play for Aston Villa, she and her best friend and teammate Millie Bright have revealed all about their close friendship in Hello! magazine.
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Rachel recently left her football team in Houston, Texas, to return to play for Aston Villa, and she explains why she made the decision after the death of her father Martyn last year.
They have an incredibly close friendship
"I think that was the biggest turning point in my life," she says. "It was time to go home; I don't want to be away from my family anymore. My little nephew was born recently and I don't want to miss out on him growing up.
"When grief hits and you are faced with tragedy, that's when you start to think about things and ultimately it was a really easy decision to move back here."
Shirt by Reserved, shorts by River Island, trainers by Adidas
Millie tells HELLO! how she is so excited to have her best friend back in the UK.
"I can't wait for Rachel to be back over here so we can spend more time together," says Chelsea defender Millie.
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"I've warned my boyfriend that she's going to be around a lot and the spare room is already set up! Life's too short to be far away; I am looking forward to making more memories off the pitch."
For the shoot, the pair swapped their England kits for stylish outfits to pose for photographs with a British mini in front of the iconic Wembley Stadium where they recently made sporting history.
Jumpsuit by Paige at Fenwick and heels by Dune
Speaking about their close bond, Millie said: "Before the Euros final, we would say: 'Oh my god, imagine when we are older and we are telling our kids that we are best friends and we have achieved all these things together!'
"We know the struggles that each of us have gone through and the journeys we have been on, and winning that championship was an extra proud moment for us as we experienced it together."
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In the interview, Rachel also says she and her teammates are coping will with the extra pressure put on them following their Euro’s victory.
"I think expectation comes with success," she says. "But I try and view pressure as a privilege. But we can't see it as a negative, we've got to move on and focus on the next one. We want to inspire everyone and make women's football more widely accepted."
Hair & makeup for Millie Bright by Katrin Rees, using Hourglass Cosmetics and Oribe Hair
Hair & makeup for Rachel Daly by Julia Wren at Carol Hayes Management using Chantecaille & Sam McKnight
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