Lucy Bronze Team GB OlympicsGetty

'This year has not been the best' - FIFA Best winner Bronze setting high standards for Team GB at Olympics 2020

Lucy Bronze has reached the very top of the game, claiming the FIFA Best Women's Player of the Year award in 2020, but the Manchester City and Team GB star says "this year has not been the best".

The 29-year-old is chasing down gold medal glory at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, with back-to-back wins securing a quarter-final berth.

Bronze has teed up all three of Ellen White's goals for Great Britain, but she feels her high individual standards have slipped in 2020-21.

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What has been said?

Bronze has told reporters when asked if she feels at the top of her game: "Quite the opposite. I feel like I've built on every season but this year has not been the best. I've found a bit of form but I don't know if you can call two games a good run."

Olympic experience

Bronze is accustomed to competing for major silverware, having enjoyed productive spells at club level with Man City and Lyon.

She has also competed the highest level on an international stage, but a coronavirus-impacted Games is delivering an entirely different experience.

Ellen White Great Britain Japan OlympicsGetty

Team GB have been cooped up in Sapporo so far, but will be heading to Kashima to face Canada in their final group stage game.

Bronze added on a change of scenery: "We had a spell when we hardly left the four walls apart from training. Jill Scott mentioned that if you'd started both games you'd have only been outside for an hour and a half.  Never mind the culture, I'm struggling to get some fresh air in the lungs!"

How long will the adventure continue?

Team GB are already into the last eight, but are eager to maintain momentum. Canada were the side to dump them out in London 2012, but success on Tuesday will build confidence and keep them in Kashima for the quarters.

Bronze is hoping that will be the case, saying: "That's the aim. Not only for momentum. It'd be nice to stay in same hotel so we can recover quickly. It's something we are aiming for."

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