Sarina Wiegman responds to Lucy Bronze’s iconic celebration in England’s win over Sweden

Sarina Wiegman hailed a captain’s contribution from Lucy Bronze after the England veteran inspired her teammates in last night’s dramatic quarter-final win over Sweden.

The reigning European champions looked destined for an early exit when they trailed 2-0 at half-time following a lacklustre display.

Indeed, it wasn’t until Bronze’s header 11 minutes from the end that the Lionesses threatened the comeback that was completed 130 seconds later when Michelle Agyemang pounced to score her first tournament goal.

An absorbing, but ultimately goaless, period of extra time ensued before a dramatic penalty shootout which England victorious from by the skin of their teeth.

Astonishingly, only five of the 14 spot kicks taken were successfully converted as goalkeepers Hannah Hampton and her opposite number, Jennifer Falk, excelled themselves.

Bronze, who wore the armband after Leah Williamson limped off, led the way in sudden death, hammering her effort straight down the middle before retrieving the ball and slamming into the turf.

It was an astonishing show of emotion, reminiscent of Stuart Pearce’s iconic outburst following his successful penalty conversion, six years on from a costly miss against West Germany, against Spain at Euro 96.

‘Lucy Bronze is just one of a kind,’ said a relieved Wiegman after the game. ‘I have never ever seen anything like this before in my life.

‘I’m a very lucky person that I’ve worked with so many incredible people, incredible football players.

‘What she does and her mentality and how she does it, the penalty, the goal, that’s not what defines her.

‘What defines her is that resilience, that fight. I think the only way to get her off the pitch is in the wheelchair.’

As the contest wore on and with the time in Zurich approaching midnight, the incredulous crowd wondering if anyone would score, Bronze limped up to the spot minutes after she had been on her back strapping her own thigh while England’s physios were busy elsewhere.

Having seen a succession of weakly-hit penalties saved, Bronze removed the strapping before stepping up to slam her attempt home with unstoppable power.

‘I just felt a little bit tight at the end of the game and I thought I just need to get through to make sure I can keep going, but I thought (the bandage) is going to hinder me in a penalty,” Bronze said.

‘I didn’t expect it to go to the sixth penalty, so I didn’t take it off. And then it was my penalty, I thought ‘I need to take this off because I’m going to absolutely smack it’.