The Dutch international, who celebrated her 20th birthday two weeks ago, has become an increasingly regular feature in the Chelsea back line as the season has gone on, establishing herself as an important member of Sonia Bompastor’s squad.

As we near the end of her debut campaign in England - having signed for Chelsea in 2024 before spending last season back on loan at PSV Eindhoven - with two crucial Women’s Super League fixtures plus a Women’s FA Cup final still to come, the defender has been reflecting on her growing role in the team and the effect it has had on her progress.

‘I think for a football player it's always really nice if you get a lot of minutes, playing regularly,’ said Buurman.

‘For me, my development is going much faster and playing in big games and playing for Chelsea is really good for me. I can help the team and I can learn a lot from the girls who I'm playing with, from the back line but also from the whole team.

‘It's really nice to play for such a big club and be playing a lot, having fun on the field, on the training ground. So that's really nice.

‘I think if you play more regularly, your confidence is always growing. You're learning a lot from the games and, on the training ground, you're learning a lot from the girls you're playing with, you're getting confidence from the girls, from the team.

‘Then also you need to look at yourself and believe in yourself, and I think with the right people around me it's working out.’

Among those team-mates she has been learning from, Buurman couldn’t have wished for a better role model during her first season with Chelsea than fellow defender and club captain Bright, who recently announced her retirement after 12 years representing the Blues.

‘I think Millie's such a big player in this club, she’s a legend. She's incredible for the team, she played here for more than 10 years,’ Veerle continued, becoming the latest to pay tribute to our departing skipper.

‘When new players like me come here, she’s really nice to you, making sure you have a good first few weeks and helping you out a lot. But also on the field, what she did for the club and what she did for the team.

‘How she does everything and how when I got my first minutes and I scored my first goal she's really happy for me, that was really nice. She’s an incredible person and footballer.’

There is a feeling of coming full circle for Buurman this weekend, as we travel to Leicester City for our final away trip of this season’s Women’s Super League campaign. They are the same opponents against which she made her Chelsea debut from the start back in September.

That game was a 1-0 win for the Blues, thanks to an early strike by Aggie Beever-Jones, and another victory on Sunday would be very welcome as we approach the conclusion of a tight race for UEFA Women’s Champions League qualification.

‘My debut feels a little bit like a long time ago, but I thought about it straight away before this game. It was at home at Kingsmeadow, it was really nice to make my debut with Chelsea. I hope this weekend will also be a really nice game again.

‘We need to win. We want to be scoring goals, playing good football, enjoying it on the field, but the three points, that’s the most important thing.’