My sis used to pack bags at Morrisons and work at Domino’s but now she’s playing for England in Women’s World Cup final
ONE ENGLAND star is on the brink of completing an incredible journey from bag packing in Morrisons to bagging a World Cup winner’s medal.
The Lionesses won their first major title last year when they beat Germany 2-1 in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley Stadium.
Now England are through to a World Cup final for the first time since 1966 after a stunning 3-1 semi-final win over co-hosts Australia.
Ella Toone gave the Sarina Wiegman’s side the lead in the first half with a superb strike that sailed into the top corner.
The Matildas came flying out the traps after the break with star striker Sam Kerr levelling thanks to a thumping 25-yard shot but England bounced back and regained the lead through Lauren Hemp.
And then Alessia Russo set up a final with Spain on Sunday with the third late on to leave a record-breaking audience Down Under heartbroken.
One of the England heroes on display in Sydney yesterday was 31-year-old wing-back Lucy Bronze – a former Domino’s pizza worker who once had to “bag-pack at Morrisons to raise funds for a bus” to get to her games.
Barcelona ace Lucy’s brother Jorge, 35, his wife Charis and their two children, Freddie, 3, and Alzira, 2, were amongst the raucous 80,000 crowd yesterday.
And he admitted that he is in awe of his “icon superstar” sister after her incredible journey from bag packer to a potential world champion.
Speaking to The Mirror, Jorge said: “This was never meant to happen – this career, this path, 80,000-seater packed out stadiums didn’t exist like this ten years ago.
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“Lucy was bag-packing in Morrisons to raise funds for a bus and then working in Domino’s while studying and thinking ‘What’s my proper job going to be?’
“It’s just unreal to think that she has been part of this, and now her role is not just to be part of it but driving it forward to make sure there is a massive market for women’s football.
“She is at the forefront of that now and it makes me really proud, she is more than a great footballer, she is an ambassador for the sport.
“She is focused on winning and making the game as big as it possibly can be.”
The Lionesses have now become household names with their exploits on the pitch, with many securing blockbuster transfers and lucrative sponsorship deals.
But before they went pro, several members of the squad had completely different jobs just like Bronze.
From working in restaurants to toy shops, we recently revealed some of the jobs England’s Lionesses did before they became national heroes.
Bronze, who is one of the most decorated players in the women’s game, joined Barcelona on a free transfer from Manchester City last summer following England’s Euro 2022 success.
She has since added another Champions League title, along with a Liga F title, to her long list of accolades.
When playing for Everton and then Liverpool between 2010 and 2014, Bronze studied sports science at Leeds Beckett University.
While completing her degree, she worked at a Domino’s branch in Headingley and a bar in Leeds.
At the same time, the defender almost quit football completely to “get a proper job”.
In 2017, Bronze – whose middle name had people Googling her during the semi-final win – said: “I thought, ‘OK, I might have to stop and think about getting a proper job’.
“I had huge debt and repeated knee injuries and was hobbling around on crutches for a year. I missed almost 2½ years of games.
“All my friends were overtaking me, and I was working in a bar at a five-a-side centre in Leeds and then in a Domino’s Pizza. I mastered all the skills of the pizza business.”
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