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Lucy Bronze urged defending champions England to draw on the underdog mentality buried deep in their DNA when they kick off their Euro 2025 quarter-final with Sweden in Zurich.

The 33-year-old right-back is the most experienced member of Sarina Wiegman’s side, having now featured in seven major tournaments since she travelled to Euro 2013 as an uncapped member of Hope Powell’s squad.

In Switzerland, Bronze’s England team-mates have drawn on the Chelsea defender’s wisdom as they navigated a rollercoaster group stage, particularly in the wake of their opening defeat to France.

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“We said we’re a ‘new England’, a new team,” said Bronze. “And what was meant by that was, we had a lot of younger players and new players who have very different experiences of playing for England compared to the likes of myself, where we know that England used to have to dig deep all the time, always.

“Like, 2015 was the first time we beat Germany – that’s insane to think of right now.

“But England in the past, it was you have to dig out performances and you are maybe the underdog, you aren’t the favourite. Whereas this England team has developed and changed.”

After the 2-1 loss to France, which left their campaign hanging by a thread, Bronze reminded her team-mates that England had suffered defeat to the same country at the 2015 World Cup, but then achieved what was then a best-ever third-place finish at a global showpiece.

That defeat in Zurich, Bronze agrees, ultimately galvanised the Lionesses, who increasingly spoke about wanting to play like “proper England” and went on to beat 2017 champions the Netherlands 4-0 and Wales 6-1 to qualify for the last eight as Group D runners-up.

She said: “Obviously we’re a very talented team, a lot of technical ability, tactics, all that comes in the game, but we don’t ever want to forget that we are England, we are proper England and if push comes to shove, we can win a game in any means possible.”

Players from both the England and Sweden camps have suggested the Swedes have flown under the radar. 

England captain Leah Williamson said the Scandinavians “deserve more recognition”, a sentiment echoed by Sweden’s Kosovare Asllani, who told reporters “people should talk about us more”.

England beat Sweden 4-0 in the Euro 2022 semi-final at Bramall Lane, but drew in their two most recent meetings with Peter Gerhardsson’s side who – unlike England – have also qualified for this autumn’s Nations League semi-finals.

Among England’s major tournament debutants is goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, also Bronze’s team-mate at Women’s Super League champions Chelsea, who contributed a highlight-reel pass in the Netherlands victory.

“She’s a very important part of this team,” added Bronze. “I think she’s definitely built with confidence as the tournament has gone on – arguably the best goalkeeper in the world with her feet.

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“But there’s still a lot more to come from Hannah. She’s a very young goalkeeper and she’s already doing fantastically well, especially starting her first major tournament. She’s a key player for us.

“Like Tooney (Ella Toone) and LJ (Lauren James), she’s a player that I think we can see so much more from, just growing and getting even better and better.”