Aggie Beever-Jones has hit form at exactly the right time. Just as the campaign is reaching its conclusion – with one trophy already in the bag and three more up for grabs – the striker has struck three goals in her last three league games for Chelsea.

That form has seen her rise to the top of our domestic scorers table, and earned her a nomination for the Player of the Month for March in the FA Women’s Super League. And on Friday night, she came off the bench to score her first England goal in only her fourth international appearance.

These achievements are all the more impressive considering Aggie is only 21 years old. She has been on quite the journey, having come through the Chelsea Academy, honing her craft via loan spells at Bristol City and Everton, and returning to fight for a place in the Blues' first team at the beginning of the 2023/24 season.

Yet there is one coach in particular that she credits with guiding her on the path to success.

‘[Chelsea Academy coach] Leanne Champ was one of the first female coaches I had,’ Beever-Jones explains. ‘I still see her around now. It’s a full-circle moment. Being in a sport dominated by men, she was the first coach that I had who was a woman and had played herself.

‘I just really admired her and how she was as a coach and as a person. When she started coaching me when I was around 15 or 16, she told me some harsh truths that I needed to work on. Looking back now, it was all with good intentions.

'She still always checks in on me. I have a lot of gratitude towards her and I always make sure to thank her for the support she has shown me during my career.’

Coming from a family of Chelsea fans and living close to our training ground at Cobham, it seemed a natural fit for Aggie to pursue a place in our Academy. But her first attempt ended in rejection.

She tried again, determined to fulfil her dream, and by the age of 10 had been accepted. That meant eight years of hard work before she was offered professional terms, and she found that Champ was ideally placed to assist her.

‘It was refreshing,’ the Blues striker adds. ‘She had been a player herself, so it was easy to connect with her because she had been there. She knew what my goals were and where I wanted to get to.

‘She was hard on me in a really good way. She told me the things I needed to work on. We had a good relationship because we found the balance of what I was good at and what I needed to improve on.

‘I feel extremely lucky to have met her during such a pivotal point of my career when I was coming up and then getting the opportunities with the first team when I was 16 or 17.

Furthermore, Beever-Jones believes that having a mentor who drove her to reach her potential as a player was crucial to her success, as Champ pushed her to do more than others to show her how to reap the benefits of extra training.

She also needed to rein in a little bit of rogue behaviour…

‘I had a lot of energy and sometimes coming to training after a school day meant I could be a bit cheeky and cause some mischief,’ laughs Beever-Jones. ‘She kept me grounded.

‘Off the pitch, she helped me probably more than she knows. On the pitch, I really respected her and I hope she knows that too. I really am thankful for her.

‘She told me that what I wanted was in reach for me, and she gave me the push and the confidence that sometimes I lacked.

‘I always knew I had to work hard, but she reminded me about the details and the extra 1 per cent that might make the difference. Whether that was recovery or encouraging me to stay behind to do like an extra 10 shots, it was those sort of fine margins.

‘She was really good at encouraging me to do that little bit more and over a long period you start seeing how those finer details really do make a big difference.’

With Champ still on the staff at Chelsea, their fruitful relationship continues. And another generation is now benefitting, as Beever-Jones ensures those stepping into the first team from our Academy have someone they can lean on for support.

‘We have a good relationship,’ Beever-Jones continues. ‘Whenever I see her at Cobham, we always have a check-in. She’s always said such kind things to me. She always knew I could do it.

‘The kind of person I am, I never think I’ve made it. I ride the wave of football, but it’s nice to see her and to keep myself humble and remember where I started.

‘That’s why it’s really nice to see some of the other girls from the Academy come up and I always make sure I put my arm around them and help them because I’ve been where they are.’

Now a fully-fledged professional with an increasing presence in the England set up, it is natural that the relationship between Beever-Jones and Champ has evolved.

‘100 per cent it has,’ the forward confirms. ‘It’s a nice feeling to see the kind of people who have helped you on your journey and to repay them in some sort of way.

‘It’s always nice when we have a conversation because some of the chats we’ve had in the past have been a bit more stern! But, seriously, I know when she says something, she means it.’