Dutch teenager Wieke Kaptein says she is settling in well at Chelsea and the club “feels like family”.
The 19-year-old joined the Blues in the 2023 summer transfer window from FC Twente but was loaned back there last season so is playing her first campaign in the Women’s Super League.
She told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra: “It’s a lovely club. I have a really good apartment – it’s a little bit outside London because it’s really busy in London. I’m not used to that!
“I’m really happy to be here, it’s an honour to play with this badge on your heart.”
The midfielder, who played a key role in Twente’s title triumph last season, became the youngest Dutch player to feature at the Women’s World Cup when she appeared as a 17-year-old at the 2023 tournament.
She scored her first Chelsea goal in her side’s 5-0 thrashing of Everton on Sunday after coming on as a substitute, but she says she knows she will have to bide her time to get minutes on the pitch.
“As a footballer you want to play the important games, you want to play every game, but what I have in front of me – they are world class players.
“I’m learning a lot from them in training, on the pitch when I’m watching them, when I’m not on the field. When I play I hope I can help the team a lot.
“Of course I’m an impatient player but it’s good for me. I’m 19-years-old so it’s really good to be in this environment and to learn from Sjoeke (Nusken), from Erin (Cuthbert), from the midfielders, from every other player.”
