Getting what she deserves: Jess Carter signs for three more years

English international Jess Carter may not have played a single minute of football for the Blues this season heading into the Champions League, but in Chelsea’s last campaign, she was the breakout star in the backline. Before the Blues kick-off against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Carter extended her stay in west London for three more years, becoming the eighth player since the beginning of August to lengthen their stay at Chelsea. Carter joined the Blues from Birmingham City back in 2018 and struggled to find consistent minutes under Emma Hayes.

During the 2021/22 campaign, Carter played a critical role in the stability of the Blues‘ defense, finishing the season second on the team in minutes, first on the team in the percentage of dribblers tackled, and successful tackles in the defensive third of the pitch. Her hard work and talent were noticed by Sarina Wiegman and the English women’s national team, earning a spot on the eventual European champions’ roster.

Following the confirmation of Carter’s extension, Paul Green praised Carter on her well-earned contract at the beginning stages of this season:

"“We are really delighted for Jess to sign a new contract with the club. She had an outstanding 2021/22 season for both club and country and we want to reward her for those achievements…We’re really happy with the way she’s been developing over the last couple of seasons and look forward to seeing that continue in the upcoming years.”"

Ownership is making sure that as soon as possible, the Blues need to nail down as many of their pieces as possible with a summer loaded with contract expirations. Carter may not seem like someone that is going to get a whole lot of minutes considering the world-class Canadian center-back that Hayes brought in during the summer. But, with the number of competitions, and potential for injuries, the former is a proven defender that can slide right into the formation with no issues at all.

Her contagious smile on and off the field, and work ethic during some of the toughest times at the club make her a fan favorite, and someone that may have even more of her game evolve considering she is only 24 years old. Carter has received challenges in her life before at CFC, making just four starts over two seasons of her Blues’ career.

Players like Maren Mjelde, and Hannah Blundell were receiving more looks compared to Carter at that time, but once she was given a consistent opportunity and the confidence from the coaching staff, she thrived. Carter played all 90 minutes in five out of the first six games last season, averaging the second-most 90s on the team. It is quite unfortunate for a player that is growing into her own that there are three center-backs on Chelsea that are more talented than her at this stage in her career.

Her lack of flexibility and creativity in attack makes it difficult to play her as one of the wing-backs. She is good enough to start for any other team in the WSL, but with her love for the club, and considering how much she grew since she entered the building at Cobham, it was a no-brainer to continue down this path. The chances will be coming on the pitch more consistently for Carter as the season rolls on. Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan simply cannot play night in and night out, and if last season was indicative of what is to come, Carter is going to be ready when her number is called upon.

The backline struggled with quick attackers last season, and Buchanan addresses part of that. Carter, if the injuries are limited, looks to be someone that is more of a matchup-dependent player. Sometimes the game of football is harsh, but at the end of the day, for all the quality she demonstrated in the last campaign, Carter received what she was rightfully owed by Chelsea.