Growing up as a child, Nelly Las idolised Lucy Bronze. Now the talented full-back will get the chance to learn from the Blues and England legend on a daily basis after signing for Chelsea.
The versatile full-back, who is comfortable playing on the right or left of defence, as well as a more advanced role, has now completed her move to join the Blues from Leicester City, signing a four-year contract at Chelsea.
The 18-year-old is a regular for England at youth level and adds another exciting young talent to Sonia Bompastor’s squad ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
It is clear that wealth of talent within the Blues squad, along with our track record of success, is a big part of what convinced the teenager this was the right place to take the next steps in her young career.
‘I think as a footballer, every footballer wants to win trophies, every footballer is competitive and wants to do well,’ she explained.
‘So I think a club like Chelsea, how successful they are, that is definitely a reason you want to come.
‘But I just think learning from all the players around me is my main goal, to develop as a player on and off the pitch. And, yeah, hopefully integrate myself into the team.’
She could hardly hope for better players to learn from every day on the training pitch than the new team-mates she will join at Chelsea. Fellow full-backs Lucy Bronze and Ellie Carpenter both have over 100 international caps to their name, along with a cabinet full of team and individual honours, while Las admits the former was one of the players she admired most as youngster.
‘I can definitely learn from them. I think they're both the best right-backs out there and being in an environment where I can ask them questions and learn from them is just incredible.
‘I'm so excited to watch them on a daily basis and learn from them and grow as a player.
‘I always watched Lucy Bronze, which is kind of crazy being here and knowing she's going to be my team-mate. But I think the whole country knows how great she is, so she’s definitely a player I’ve looked up to.’
Bronze is one of several of Chelsea’s senior England internationals Las has crossed paths with in her time representing the Young Lionesses, while she also has the advantage of already knowing a number of her younger new club team-mates from their time together on national duty.
‘We see the senior players in and around the building, but also they came to watch one of our Under-19s fixtures at St George's Park, so it's good to see the support from the top, really.
‘I know some of the younger girls, like Lola [Brown], Chloe [Sarwie], Lexi [Potter], Katie [Cox]. That will definitely help me settle into the squad quickly.’
That means several members of the Chelsea squad will already be well aware of what the team is gaining with Las’ arrival, but what can the supporters expect from our new signing? For the final word, we asked the player herself.
‘I would say I'm always hard-working and I always give 100 per cent,’ Nelly concluded. ‘I always bring energy and I'm quite a direct player.
‘I like going forward and helping hopefully to get some goals and assists, but also being solid at the back.
‘I would say my one-v-ones is my biggest strength, offensively and defensively, but also just my work rate and wanting to learn and wanting to get better.’
Well under the tutelage of Bompastor and with the likes of Bronze and Carpenter to learn from on a daily basis, Blues fans can be excited by what is to come from Las over the coming years.