Chelsea star's unsung role rewarded with new three-year deal

Sophie Ingle says she feels Chelsea is her "home away from home" after signing a new contract with the WSL champions.

The midfield general and Wales captain has been in excellent form this season, proving a vital cog in Emma Hayes' machine with her team sitting top of the table at Christmas. Ingle scored in a 2-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League and also ran the midfield in a vital 1-0 win at Aston Villa in the WSL.

Ingle's fine spell has been rewarded with a new deal, keeping her at the club until the summer of 2025. It extends her second spell with the Blues, having left the club back in 2013 to join Bristol Academy.

But ever since returning in 2018 she has improved with each season and is now one of the most experienced players in Hayes' squad. The Chelsea number five told the club website that she now considers the West London club to be her second home.

"I'm really delighted to sign for Chelsea again," Ingle told Chelseafc.com. "I feel like this club is home away from home.

"I've settled in from the very first moment that I signed about five years ago. I'm really delighted to continue this journey with this amazing club."

Chelsea general manager Paul Green also commented on Ingle's extension: "We are delighted that Sophie has extended her contract. She has great experience and is a leader within the group.

"She has been a key player in our success over the last few years, and we look forward to that continuing."

Over the last few seasons, Ingle appears to have reached her prime years, with an outstanding campaign in 2020-21 as the Blues won the WSL title and FA Cup. Her ability to break-up play and create quick transitions was becoming more and more evident and she finished the season as one of the Blues top appearance makers, with only three of her teammates featuring more often.

Ingle is able to not only protect the back three, but also effectively recycle possession and keep Chelsea's wing-backs involved in attacks by finding them with pinpoint accuracy from deeper positions. This season, the Wales skipper has made 15 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals which both came in the Champions League, also notching in the away win at Vllaznia as well as her strike against Madrid at Kingsmeadow.

Ingle was famously nominated for the Puskas Award in 2020 for her stunning long-range effort against Arsenal in the WSL. At international level she has been capped over 100 times for Wales and very nearly led them to the 2023 FIFA World Cup Finals, only missing out after a play-off defeat to Switzerland. She also represented Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics.

The news brings some Christmas joy to Blues fans who only days ago discovered that forward Beth England will move to Tottenham in the New Year for a record transfer fee.

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