'We'll bounce back' - Inspirational Millie Bright makes Lionesses pledge after World Cup final despair

England’s heartbroken captain had to lead her team past the trophy they craved more than any other in Sydney on Sunday evening, her Lionesses beaten 1-0 by Spain in a tense women’s World Cup final.

Not since Bobby Moore walked the steps at Wembley to hoist the Jules Rimet trophy above his head 57 years ago has a senior England team got so close.

So near, yet so far.

Olga Carmona’s first-half strike earned Spain a 1-0 victory in the final as Sarina Wiegman’s side were denied a first World Cup triumph a year after their maiden European Championship success.

But Bright, the 29-year-old Sheffield United academy product and former Doncaster Rovers Belles player, who captained the side during the tournament in the absence of Leah Williamson, does not think this is the end of the story for this team.

She said: “(There’s a) huge amount of disappointment. At first you feel you failed because you’ve not won, but to finish second I think in a couple of weeks when we settle down we’ll be really, really proud.

“This is not it from us, well bounce back I’m sure, but for now it’s hard to take.”

England hit the bar through Lauren Hemp in the first period while goalkeeper Mary Earps saved a second-half Jennifer Hermoso penalty to revive English hopes that they could snatch and equaliser and go on to win the game.

But Spain, for all their internal strife, are too canny a footballing culture and managed to squeeze the hope out of England, even with 13 minutes of stoppage time as they held on to lift their first world title.

Bright said: “We gave everything. We can say hand on heart we gave everything.

“In the first half we weren’t at our best. Second half we bounced back, showed our fight, showed our character and we had chances, we just didn’t have that final edge today.

“We’ve been 1-0 down in a game before and we bounced back and that was the aim today. We never give in and it’s hard to take but it’s football.

"We’re absolutely heartbroken. Unfortunately we just weren’t there today.”