When Niamh Charles swapped Liverpool for Chelsea in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the Blues knew they were securing the services of one of the most highly rated young players in the country.

Charles had just turned 21 and had been a regular in the Liverpool team for several seasons. And following the Reds’ relegation from the WSL, Emma Hayes and her recruitment staff moved quickly to bolster our title-winning squad.

• Secure your place at our WSL opener against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on 5 September now!

Fast forward five years and Charles is no longer regarded as a player with enormous potential. At Chelsea, she has developed into one of the world’s standout left-backs, a serial winner with her club, and a regular for her country.

And after the disappointment of defeat in the 2023 World Cup final to Spain, the Lionesses exacted revenge at this summer's European Championships. Charles calmly converted a penalty in the decisive shoot-out.

That meant the 26-year-old added international silverware to the significant haul of trophies she has won at Chelsea, including last season’s Treble. The summer break has given Charles a chance to reflect on those achievements.

‘At Chelsea, it was a really good start for the whole team under new management,’ Charles says. ‘We could have gone one more, of course, with the Champions League. We're chasing that this year.

‘With England, it's unbelievable that we've won the Euros again because it opens more doors. We spoke about it as a squad – how in 2022, you had to win to be heard, and now we've created this platform.

‘We're really proud of the legacy we're creating as a team. Improving access for young girls and hopefully across all levels of the football pyramid means we’re making a difference to little girls and little boys as well as women and men.

‘I think everything that happened last year was amazing, but that’s gone now, it's in the past and I’m looking ahead to the future.’

Charles was able to enjoy a well-earned summer break and spent it at home with her family rather than travelling abroad, as she often does as a player. She smiles when she tells us her mother has been sure to keep her abreast of all the congratulations coming her way following England’s success in Switzerland.

Indeed, the attention Euro 2025 garnered here means Charles is expecting a positive knock-on effect in the WSL, both in terms of quality and attendance.

‘I'm really looking forward to seeing the changes that happen and hopefully it's going to get even bigger and even better, even more competitive,’ Charles says.

‘Hopefully the product on the pitch is even better with the investment, and the revenue is even better, so across every board it’s going to be better.’

Chelsea’s title defence begins with a mouthwatering fixture against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge next Friday 5 September, a game for which tickets are still available.

As Charles looks ahead to that fixture and the new campaign, when we will attempt to lift the WSL for the seventh year running, there is only one thing in her mind.

‘It’s a nice way to start the season with a massive game, and it’s going to be such a spectacle,’ says Charles. ‘We know we need to work really hard to make sure that we're absolutely ready.

‘Ever since I joined this club, it's been about what you win in the last year,’ she adds. ‘It's brilliant, but you have to go and do it again, and again, and again.

‘Once is never enough, and you just want it more. You know the competition's going to get even harder, so it makes it even more exciting.’

See Chelsea in action at Stamford Bridge against Manchester City in the first Women's Super League game of the season on Friday 5 September at 7.30pm! Secure your tickets for that fixture here.