England: Sarina Wiegman reveals genius thinking behind playing Millie Bright as striker

England Women made history on Wednesday night as they were crowned the first ever winners of the Arnold Clark Cup.

Under the lights of the Molineux Stadium, the Lionesses played out an emphatic 3-1 over Germany to see them crowned the champions.

A crucial goal from Millie Bright contributed to the victory and also saw the centre-back win the inaugural Golden Boot award.

The Chelsea defender shared the honour with Ballon d’Or winner and Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas, which left fans on social media completely stunned.

Bright scored two goals in the Arnold Clark Cup — her second came late on in the match against Germany after she made a cameo appearance as a striker late in the second half.

Supporters couldn’t quite believe they were seeing the centre-back operating as a forward, but manager Sarina Wiegman revealed the method behind her bold move in her post-match interview.

“We wanted to get some extra energy into the game,” the Dutch boss explained. “We wanted to score a goal because we wanted to win the tournament.

“We had to win this game, so we needed an extra player up front and we know Millie is very strong. She’s a good header but she’s good with her feet too — she can shoot with her right and left. So we thought, [let’s] bring her up front and try to get even more pressure on their [Germany’s] goal.

“I know that’s a risk but it went our way.”

Wiegman has been praised for her experimental tactics since she arrived in the England camp. The manager has put her faith in young talents like Alessia Russo and Ella Toone, and has also been trying players in different position, including the long-awaited midfield position for Leah Williamson.

Additionally, Wiegman has tried out her goalkeeping options, which saw