A deadline day signing, the 27-year-old midfielder has joined the Blues on a four-and-a-half-year deal.

We sit to chat at Stamford Bridge, and despite the frantic nature of such a move, the England international remains calm and composed—the same qualities she has shown and is heralded for on the pitch.

Early on in our conversation, one of the biggest reasons why Walsh, who previously played for Manchester City, has decided to return to England to be a part of Sonia Bompastor's side becomes clear.

In Barcelona, she experienced the success she had always dreamed of with a group of players she cherished, but now is the time for the midfielder to be closer to her loved ones.

‘It was a massive motivator,’ Walsh says. ‘I’ll be honest, I didn’t realise how difficult it would be to be away from my family and friends when I went abroad.

‘It was such a quick transfer that I didn’t have time to process how I would be on my own. Sometimes, it was actually really difficult and I did struggle away from the pitch sometimes.

‘This season was a bit easier because Ellie Roebuck came in and me and her have been such good friends for a long time.

‘It’s no secret that I wanted to come and wanted to play closer to my friends and family. Just having my family back in the stands, it’s something I’ve just wanted for a long time.

‘When I spoke to Chelsea, I knew that I wanted to come here.’

With her move to London now confirmed, Walsh says her family are raring to be back in the stands watching her on a regular basis.

‘They are delighted,’ Walsh adds. ‘I kept it quiet for a little bit because I know that my mum gets quite stressed, so tried not to tell her too many details.

‘I’m sure my dad’s looking forward to watching me play every week. He’s really missed that. I’m just really looking forward to having them much closer.’

And playing and watching football with dad Peter is where it all started. To have him more involved again, Walsh says, is going to be incredibly special.

‘It’s quite emotional,’ Walsh says. ‘He’s always my biggest critic as well. Just having him in the stands, I can always get his opinion now because he will be there to watch the game live.

‘Our love for football is always something that we have shared. To have him close again is going to be really nice.'

Her dad was one of her first coaches and a constant giver of advice. One instruction Peter gave to a young Keira was to watch a certain French midfielder… Camille Abily. And as if by fate, the pair will now work together at the Blues.

‘It’s funny because when I was younger, he always used to tell me to watch Camille play and now she’s going to be my coach at Chelsea! I’m very happy about that.’

‘Just the way she saw the game,’ Walsh continues. ‘How clever she was and the way she moved the ball.

‘I was so small when I was younger that my dad could see that I wasn’t the most powerful or the fastest player. So, it was always about watching the intelligent players and how they moved and how comfortable they were on the ball.

‘That’s something he always tried to get me to do. She was one of the best players in the world in her position and somebody who was massively underrated.

‘When I spoke to her, I told her she was my favourite player, but she said she already knew so that was a bit embarrassing!

‘I’m really looking forward to getting to learn from her and the experiences that she can share from her time playing in midfield in that Lyon team. She’s got some invaluable experience.’

Like Abily, Walsh is a serial winner. She won every domestic trophy during her eight years with Manchester City, before doing the same at Barcelona, where she also lifted two UEFA Champions Leagues.

On the international stage, Walsh played a pivotal role in the Lionesses' European Championship triumph in 2022. Orchestrating play from the midfield, she was named Player of the Match for the final at Wembley and in the Team of the Tournament.

But even with such an impressive list of accolades to boast, the midfielder believes there is still another level to be found. Chelsea, she says, is the best place for her to do that.

‘There are always a lot of areas to improve,’ Walsh says. ‘Speaking to Sonia, she wants me to score more goals.

‘You look at the condition of this Chelsea team and they’re all so strong and physically tough. They’re incredible at getting around the pitch and that’s something I want to add to my game.

‘The speed of the WSL as well is something I can learn from. The players play at such an incredible speed which will help me improve on the ball. I’ll have to play and think faster.’

In Barcelona, Walsh says she grew as a player. Playing and training with world-class players made her become an even better reader of the game, moving the ball faster and more aware of the positions she needed to take up.

It is an education that will undoubtedly serve her well coming to Chelsea and working with head coach Bompastor.

‘With Sonia coming from Lyon and French football, she wants to play technical, tactical football and that’s the same as me,’ Walsh said.

‘I like building out from the back. That’s probably my favourite part of the game – building up from the back and trying to dictate play and the tempo of the game. Hopefully, I can bring that to Chelsea’s midfield.’

With her family close and ambition unwavering, Keira Walsh is ready to make her mark at Chelsea and continue her journey as one of the world’s best.