With a week to go until Chelsea begin the defence of our Women’s Super League title against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge, we profile defender Jess Carter, who surpassed 100 appearances for the Blues last season.
Player Profile
Name: Jess Carter
National Team: England
Place of Birth: Warwick, England
Position: Defender
DOB: 27 October, 1997 (age 25)
Height: 1.65m (5 ft 5 in)
Chelsea career
Carter became a Blue after joining from Birmingham City during the summer of 2018, and went on to make 16 appearances in her debut season. She netted her first goal for the club in a league victory over Bristol City at Kingsmeadow during the 2019/20 campaign.
In the second half of the 2020/21 season, Carter was called upon regularly and made 19 appearances for the Blues. She registered an assist against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final victory which took us to our first ever European final.
A contract extension preceded the 2021/22 campaign where Carter transitioned from full-back into a back three. She impressed in our FA Cup final victory over Arsenal in December and netted her only goal of the season in our Continental League Cup semi-final win against Manchester United.
After a breakthrough season the previous year, Carter signed a contract extension ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. A consistent performer with versatility and reliability across the backline, she scored three goals across the league and FA Cup on our way to winning the domestic Double.
Notably, her 100th Blues appearance came during a 1-1 draw at Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage in November 2022.
International career
Carter made her England debut against Kazakhstan in 2017. After her superb 2021/22 campaign, the defender was named in the Lionesses squad for the European Championship on home soil from which she emerged with an historic winners medal.
This summer, Carter was called up to represent England at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. She produced a string of exemplary performances on their way to the final where the Lionesses finished in second-place.
The 25-year-old is part of the England squad who are competing in the UEFA Women’s Nations League during the ongoing international break, and will return to Chelsea ahead of our WSL curtain raiser against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge one week today!
Click here to secure your seats for the Blues opening WSL fixture against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Sunday 1 October, with kick-off at 5.30pm (UK time).