The 19-year-old midfielder joined Chelsea from the Dutch side in the summer of last year, before spending the 2023/24 season back on loan in the Eredivisie with Twente.

She has not had to wait long to return, now as a Blue, after we were drawn against the current Dutch champions in the group stages of the European competition, with Real Madrid and Celtic making up Group B.

Our first away trip in the Champions League this season sees us take on Twente at De Grolsch Veste on Thursday night. For Wieke, it’s an encounter she has been relishing since the draw was made.

‘I jumped off the couch,’ Kaptein answers when asked what her immediate reaction to the draw was. ‘I jumped up because it is so good to be going home.

‘It’s a dream to play in the stadium again, but with my new club. I love Twente. They are in my heart, so of course it will be difficult to play against them but it’s going to be good.’

It’s not difficult to understand why Wieke’s return will be an emotional one. After all, Twente was the place that helped her develop into the player who earned a move to London.

And not only did the Dutch club help lay the foundations of a talented young prospect who is showing all the signs of going far in the game, Kaptein also enjoyed much success at Twente, with eight domestic winner's medals collected during that time.

‘Chelsea was my dream club as a kid,’ Kaptein said. ‘And so was Twente. The big step for me wasn’t to come straight to Chelsea after playing with the boys – I went to Twente and that was a dream.

‘I developed there and then achieved another dream of coming to Chelsea.

‘I made my debut at Twente when I was 15 years old in the Champions League because I couldn’t play in the league until I turned 16. I played a lot of games there and developed a lot, and I met my best friends there.

‘Twente was a good team, mentally and physically, and that helped me develop so I could make this step to Chelsea.

‘I grew up at Twente. I was a big fan of their men’s team and used to go watch with my brothers. To play in the same stadium with Chelsea, it’ll be really good.’

Wieke grew up only ten minutes away from where the Blues will play Twente on Thursday night. That means a fairly short trip for family and friends who are set to cheer her on.

‘It’s perfect,’ Kaptein said. ‘It’s a dream. I’m really looking forward to going to my home country and showing the girls what Holland is like in the east – it’s not like Amsterdam! It’s rural and has a lot of farms.

‘I love it there. I’m really excited to see my family and friends again.

‘My parents and my brothers have been coming here to England often, but some family and friends can’t so it’s a pleasure to be playing in the Netherlands, so they can just drive to come watch me in a Chelsea shirt. I think they will be really proud of me.’

This is the first time Twente have qualified for the group stages since the format was introduced in 2021. Wieke knows how much it means to them, but insists her focus will be rooted on Chelsea when she lines up against her former club.

‘It is a bit difficult because I was happy for them to get to the group stage and for us to get them,’ Kaptein said. ‘I’m glad to be going back, but it’s difficult because I know how much it means for them to be in Europe.

‘They have the quality to play in the Champions League, so it’s good they will get to show that.

‘But I’m a Chelsea player now. We need to win the game and we want to win the Champions League. We know what we have to do.'

Having only played in European qualifying matches during her time at Twente, the midfielder is enjoying her introduction to the group stages of club football’s most-prized competition.

Wieke made her first competitive start for Chelsea in the Champions League, helping the Blues to an opening 3-2 win against Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge.

‘This is the biggest stage,’ Kaptein said ‘The Champions League is the biggest stage when you’re playing with your club and it’s the biggest thing you can achieve.

‘It’s such an honour to play in this competition with this team. It’s exactly what I wanted to do and where I wanted to play.’