Chelsea and England defender Lucy Bronze opens up on autism diagnosis for the first time and it's a powerful watch

Chelsea and England defender Lucy Bronze has candidly opened up about her autism and ADHD diagnosis for the first time.

The 33-year-old, who is widely regarded as one of the best full-backs in world football, sat down with former Lionesses teammate Alex Scott to speak about her diagnoses, as well the impact they've had on her life, both on and off the pitch.

Ahead of Neurodiversity Celebration Week – a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurodevelopmental disorders – Bronze has decided to speak out to help “get rid of the stigma” surrounding the conditions.

The former Liverpool, Manchester City and Barcelona defender was only diagnosed with autism and ADHD four years ago. "It was something I always knew about in a way," she tells BBC Sport. "My mum had spoken about it from a very young age and noticed things in me."

For example, Bronze says she struggles to make eye contact with people during conversation, which is a commonly recognised symptom of autism.

On the pitch, meanwhile, the defender has a habit of touching her hair. "People think 'she's always messing about', but that's just me calming myself down without even realising it," she says.

The England international also admitted that she would often 'mask' her autistic traits, which is a strategy used by neurodivergent people to appear neurotypical. In short, she would copy the behaviour of others throughout her 20s in an attempt to fit in.

It was during a Lionesses training camp that Bronze learned she had ADHD and autism, as her traits were being picked up by others in the team.

"When I first joined up with England I could not speak to anyone," Bronze says. "[I remember] Casey Stoney said to me, 'You've never looked me in the eye when speaking to me', and I was like, 'It's not because of you, it's me'.

"I would watch Jill [Scott] and how she speaks to people. I thought I'd copy her a bit. I'm better at it now but I feel a bit uncomfortable sometimes. Hugging people, making eye contact when you speak, those two things I had to learn because they're seen as the norm, and I found them so difficult."

She added: "I've got to a point now where people know I don't like hugs, so they don't judge me for not doing it. [The diagnoses] didn't change anything essentially, but it was a bit of an eye opener.

"I just learned more about myself, understood why in certain situations I saw things differently to other people or acted in a different way to other people.

"Getting to sit down and actually speak through my traits and how it affects me, situations that make me feel good or bad, that was the thing that really clicked in my head and made me feel so much better."

Now, the 2019 UEFA Player of the Year is using her platform to reduce the stigma around neurodiversity as she continues to work as an ambassador for the National Autistic Society.

"There were times in my life where things might have been easier for me if there wasn't a stigma, if I felt I could be more open about it. Being misunderstood when you're younger is so difficult, which is why I wanted to join the charity. It's important for everyone to understand the differences in people."