"Nobody likes being the new person at school. It takes time to get over it. You don't have a lot of time to get your life together, and I was moving from one country to another. I'd gone from one completely different style of football back to England. You don't have that pre-season to get to know the players or the style. And you don't get a grace period."
"Despite helping Chelsea claim a domestic treble and remain unbeaten in the WSL last season, she recognises it was difficult to reacclimatise to English football. Before her three years playing for dominant European giants Barcelona, she spent eight seasons at Manchester City, winning the WSL once, three FA Cups and four League Cups."
Keira Walsh, England midfielder with 99 caps, transferred to Chelsea in January 2024 after three years at Barcelona. Despite her decorated career including Champions League titles, Liga F wins, and European Championship victories, she struggled with the adjustment to English football. The mid-season transfer proved particularly difficult as she lacked pre-season preparation and time to acclimate to Chelsea's style and teammates. Walsh emphasized the challenges of relocating countries, adapting to different football approaches, and lacking a grace period for settling in. However, winning a domestic treble with Chelsea and maintaining an unbeaten WSL record helped ease her transition.
Read at www.bbc.com
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