Chloe Kelly opens up on ‘turning point’ in her career
By Ali Rampling
Chloe Kelly has singled out her 2018 transfer to Everton as a ‘turning point’ in her career, as the move exposed her to regular first-team football and pushed her out of her comfort zone.
Kelly progressed through the Arsenal academy and initially broke into the star-studded first-team as a 17-year-old, featuring alongside seasoned England internationals Alex Scott, Kelly Smith, Rachel Yankey and Casey Stoney.
In search of regular minutes, the winger twice joined Everton on loan, before making the move permanent in January 2018. The 2019/20 season with the Toffees would prove to be her breakthrough, netting nine goals in 12 appearances and earning her a move to Manchester City the following summer.
Since moving to Manchester, Kelly has forged a reputation as one of the finest forwards in the WSL, and has established herself as a key member of the England squad, netting a famous extra-time winner in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley - with a just as famous celebration.
Speaking in Believe, a new EA Sports documentary about Kelly’s career and recovery from her ACL injury, she emphasised the importance of her initial move to Merseyside and the role that played in her journey.
“I was playing with the likes of Kelly Smith, Rachel Yankey [at Arsenal], still learning from great professionals,” Kelly explained. “But I needed to experience playing time and making mistakes on the pitch to learn from them. So I went on loan to Everton for three months.
“I signed for them full-time and that was great for me. I think that was probably a turning point in my career where I knew I had to take a step away from my comfort zone, being at Arsenal where it was comfortable for me, living in London, to making the move up to Liverpool to push myself on the pitch and get minutes and experience.”