Sophie Ingle has committed to the club by extending her current contract to stay with the Blues until May 2021.
Chelsea Women’s Players’ Player of the Year, who previously played for the Blues from 2012 to 2013, returned from Liverpool last summer for her second spell by signing a two-year deal.
Ingle was Chelsea’s midfield anchor throughout the 2018/19 campaign. Her 29 appearances made her one of Emma Hayes’ most-played players.
The 27-year-old Wales captain is understandably delighted to extend her current contract by one year and is already looking forward to the season ahead.
‘I really enjoyed my first season being back here, obviously we had a good season and it was a no-brainer to extend my contract,’ she says.
‘I think I’ve grown massively. I’ve definitely become fitter, stronger, and being around the girls in this squad, with so many nationalities, it’s good to get to know the different types of players and different personalities.‘I honestly think it’s the best squad in the league in England. We didn’t win trophies but in terms of names on paper we’ve definitely got the best squad. The target next year is trophies! It’s important to bring trophies back to this club especially with the squad we have.‘Even more so next year with Manchester United and Spurs coming up, they’ve put in a lot of money and emphasis on the women’s team which is great for women’s football. It’s going to be really interesting next season. Everyone is going to be fighting for the top position.’
While a number of Ingle’s Chelsea team-mates are competing at the Women’s World Cup in France, she is looking forward to her downtime prior to the forthcoming season.‘It’s been a long season, I’ve had to keep ticking over at the end of the season for the Welsh camp. We played last Tuesday night but now have three weeks off. Nice little holiday for a week and then slowly getting back into it.‘I don’t know who I want to win the World Cup yet, it’s tough. Teams are getting better each year and there isn’t always one favourite anymore, but I’m really excited to see my team-mates perform on the world stage.