Saying farewell to Chelsea Women’s legend Drew Spence

In a matter of just four days, Chelsea lost two legends for the 2023 season. Ji So-yun decided last week that she will be leaving Kingsmeadow to head back to South Korea. Now, the longest serving player for the Blues, midfielder Drew Spence, has come to the conclusion to depart the club following the next two matches. The 14-year veteran will leave the club as the all-time leader in appearances and in the top-six in goals all-time at Chelsea.

In 2009, Spence made her debut for the Blues and grew into a vital player in the middle of the pitch for Emma Hayes. Spence has not played a full 90-minute match since the end of November, but her impact and leadership at a club she has been with her entire career remains unmatched. Spence has not donned a kit in her club career that has not possessed the Chelsea crest on it. In the grand scheme of things, Spence is what Chelsea Football Club is all about, growing from her youth with the club to ultimate glory with the senior team.

Drew Spence will depart the Chelsea Women’s team after the end of the season following over a decade with the Blues

Following the news, Emma Hayes spoke about Spence’s departure, stating,

"“Drew has epitomized everything that we have been about in my tenure … She’s watched the club grow from amateur to one of the top teams in Europe and she’s been instrumental in that journey. I’ve watched Drew grow from a young player and blossomed as a senior pro … I’m excited for her next steps, she’s fully deserving of everything she’s achieved and again she will join a group of legends for what she has done at this football club and I know everyone here will really miss her.”"

Spence has been through the good, the bad and the ugly with the club. She has won five league titles, three FA Cups, two Conti Cups and one Community Shield with the hopes of adding two more trophies by the time of her departure. Just over a month ago, Spence netted a right footed goal for her 50th goal as a Blue in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup against Birmingham City. 50 goals, and more than a decade with a player that epitomizes what it means to be proper Chels.

Chelsea will now be missing two club legends in the middle of the field next season. While the Blues will be missing some quality, there are plenty of players at Hayes’ disposal next season that can fill the void. Lauren James and Jessie Fleming played a small role in Chelsea’s campaign this season, but next year, they will have to play a key role in whether or not the Blues can win four consecutive league titles (assuming they go on to win this year’s FAWSL).

In a video released by Chelsea, Spence was in tears as she said goodbye to a club she has called home for the last 13 years. She expressed in that statement it was “one of the hardest decisions she has ever had to make, it’s like leaving your family.” She, alongside Ji, leaves Chelsea a better club than she found it back in the late 2000s. Spence has left a legacy at the club that gives it the chance to reach heights that almost seemed insurmountable in 2010.

Spence is a quality goal-scorer, but she is best known for her ability to play in a multitude of positions on the pitch. At the age of 29, Spence has plenty of football left in her. Regardless of whether it’s another team in Europe or the National Women’s Soccer League, Spence can still contribute at a high level. While the Jamaican international moves on to the next chapter of her career, Chelsea will have to savor the time she has left and soak up all of the knowledge she has gathered through the years. As the longest standing player in the Blues’ ranks, Spence knows what it was like to come up short multiple times before success is reached.

Kingsmeadow is going to look a lot different next year when Chelsea kicks off the 2022/23 season, but there is no doubt that part of Spence’s heart will always be blue.