In Focus with Lucy Bronze and Alex Scott

Football Daily

BBC

Soccer, Sports, News, Sports News, Sport

4.3 • 4.5K Ratings

🗓️ 29 March 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Chelsea and England defender Lucy Bronze speaks exclusively to Alex Scott about her autism and ADHD diagnosis.

Lucy's mum, Diane, had long suspected she may be autistic, but it wasn't until four years ago that Bronze was officially diagnosed as having autism and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Lucy has had outstanding success as a footballer, both at home and abroad, and during this chat she tells Alex how her neurodiversity has impacted her life both on and off the pitch and why some of her differences have been her strengths.

TIMECODES: 1:02 - On receiving her autism diagnosis and ADHD four years ago. 3:13 - The process of getting diagnosed 5:00 - On her most notable neurodivergent traits 7:10 - Do her teammates know? 9:20 - Being ‘obsessed’ with football and how her differences have been her strengths. 10:26 - How does it affect her on the football pitch? 12:25 - Masking and copying the behaviours of Jill Scott. 15:54 - Her experiences of playing abroad and being in diverse environments. 16:50 - Being a role model to younger players 19:55 - On the diagnosis helping to understand who she is, not change who she is. 22:25 - Why is she ready to talk about it now? 24:45 - Becoming an ambassador for the National Autistic Society to help with "raising awareness" and "getting rid of the stigma" around it.

5 Live and BBC Sounds commentaries this weekend:  Sat 12:15 Fulham v Crystal Palace (FA Cup)  Sat 15:00 Celtic v Hearts (Scottish Premiership)  Sat 17:15 Brighton v Nottingham Forest (FA Cup)  Sun 13:30 Preston v Aston Villa (FA Cup).

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, you're about to listen to a BBC podcast, so I'd like to tell you where you'll find more just like it.
0:05.5	I'm Izzy Lee Poulton, an assistant commissioner for BBC Sounds, which means I'm involved in the whole podcast making process.
0:12.0	Whether that's developing fresh formats or facilitating eye-catching artwork, I helped project manage all the details that make our podcast stand out.
0:19.0	At the BBC, we've got access to storytellers and experts across a huge range of subjects.
0:24.6	It could be psychologists, comedians, celebrities or journalists.
0:28.6	No podcasts or day looks the same here.
0:31.6	So no matter what you like, check out BBC Sounds.
0:33.6	There's probably another podcast on there that you're absolutely love.
0:42.3	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:49.7	Hi, I'm Lucy Bronze and you're about to listen to a very special edition of the Football Daily with myself and Alex Scott.
0:59.0	You can find links to the organisations that provide help and support on the topics of autism and ADHD at BBC.com. UK forward slash action line.
1:02.9	The Football Daily Podcast in Focus.
1:10.4	I feel like we have so much to catch up on in terms of football and I suppose life.
1:17.6	It has been a while.
1:18.6	It has been a while.
1:19.6	I mean we're always popping in and out.
1:21.6	I saw you at a gig, didn't I?
1:23.6	And then obviously when I'm doing the WSL games.
1:26.6	But we're going to talk about something a bit more personal to you and what's been going on in your life that went undetected, officially undetected for most of your life until four years ago. So what's that? Four years ago I did, I don't know, a test, found out that like I have autism, but at the same time it was something that I always knew about in a way, just because my mom had spoke about it from a very young age and noticed things in me and was like, yeah, I think you're a bit autistic, but we don't need to test you, like, you're fine kind of thing.
2:01.6	And then just a couple years ago, when I was away with England, speaking with a psychologist,
2:06.6	and she was like, why don't we get you tested, got tested.
2:09.6	And it was, it didn't change anything, essentially, but it was like a bit of an eye-opener and
	...

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