Just the beginning: Chelsea’s Fleming is here to stay
On the heels of several extensions over the past few months, Canadian international, and the future of the Blues’ attack, Jessie Fleming has secured her place at Chelsea Football Club for another three years. The 24-year-old from London, Canada is viewed as one of the best midfielders in the women’s game and has played a crucial role in the Blues’ most recent successes. Fleming has been a mainstay in the progress of the Canadian National Team, starting in every match that she has played in over all competitions since 2016. She came to Chelsea following a remarkable career at UCLA where she was eventually voted as one of three finalists for the Hermann Trophy during her final season in California.
Following the confirmation of the signing, Fleming expressed her love for the club, stating, “I am so excited to be staying at Chelsea for the next few years! In Chelsea, I have found a home away from home with an incredible group of staff and players. I will continue to give my very best to the club each and every day I am a blue.”
Fleming netted two goals for Canada en route to its gold medal in the Olympics 2020 including the game-tying one in the final along with running the show for the Canadians in their second-place finish in the CONCACAF W-Championship this past summer. Fleming finished the W-Championship tied for the team’s lead in goals along with the current Juventus midfielder, Julia Grosso. With Sophie Ingle, and even Pernille Harder getting older by the minute, Fleming, and Erin Cuthbert at the same age have the quality to run the midfield for the Blues for the foreseeable future.
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Fleming’s knowledge of the game, and ability to make the right decisions at the right time separate her from the rest of the pack. While she is one of the shortest players on the pitch, her calmness makes her one of the most reliable players with the ball at her feet in the world. She finished tied for third on the Blues in assists last season with four and was behind only Sam Kerr, Bethany England, and Fran Kirby in goals plus assists per 90 minutes played. Fleming netted six goals last season and played in the second most matches for Chelsea in all competitions at 21 contests.
The former UCLA Bruin may have only started in 11 of them, but this season, Fleming already has four under her belt, becoming more and more of a regular in the starting IX. The fact that this former high school track star made her senior debut on the national level at the age of 15 demonstrates how highly regarded she has been since the beginning. She becomes the ninth player since the beginning of August to seal their fate with Chelsea with pen and paper. Opposite Jess Carter’s situation, Fleming is a player signing for the club knowing she is one of the No. 1 options at her position.
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The contract represents not only the positives that she has contributed so far to the club but the amount of promise a player like Fleming possesses to lead a midfield to the pinnacle of European football. If there were a list of the most valuable players to the Chelsea Women at this moment in time, it would be hard not to see Fleming in the top three. This extension is a win for the Blues, and their fans, as CFCW continues to eliminate some of its most valued assets from the wish list of its competition. When talking about the Chelsea midfield, Fleming is never the first person to come up in conversation, but in about a year or two, this talented, and versatile individual has the talent to become one of the best if not the best midfielder in the Women’s Super League.