Of those 25, she has been an unused substitute eight times. The midfielder was selected in the squad for eight matches leading up to Women’s Euro 2025, but started just three of those.

As the tournament came around, her status in the squad seemed to have changed. Jean-Francois was named in the starting XI for what turned out to be France’s 2-1 win over England in the opening group stage game. Aside from being rested against Wales, the midfielder kept her place, racking up 300 minutes in the competition.

Despite suffering an exit on penalties at the hands of Germany in the quarter-final, the Blues star played the most minutes of any midfielder at the tournament without being dribbled past.

‘That means I know how to defend then!’ she laughs when presented with the statistic.

‘The most important characteristic of a midfielder, I would say, is to help the players around us be able to play. We are a central wall, and we have to help people around us to play at the best level.’

Jean-Francois recognises that last season was tough for her at times. Having joined Chelsea from PSG last summer, the 24-year-old had to adjust not only to a new language and culture, but also had to deal with some time on the sidelines due to injury.

After some superb performances at Euro 2025, it seems like she’s close to producing her best form.

‘Yeah, I'm on the way,’ she agrees. ‘During last season, there was a moment when I felt really good, really fit. It was a nice moment for me. I hope to be involved with every single game this season.

‘My goal is to be a more important player in the team, to start more games and to score even more. I scored two goals last season. I want to be more decisive, I would say.’

Jean-Francois was born in French Guiana, an overseas department of France which borders Brazil. In the summer, she was appointed as ambassador to her city by the local mayor, an honour which she said she hoped would inspire the local young people to believe in their dreams.

She smiles with pride at the mention of this award and describes with passion what her home country means to her.

‘It means everything. Family, good meals – meat, fish, rice, the carnival…Yeah, it's just everything for me. Everything. You can come and try it, you will see for yourself!

‘[The award] was unreal, to be honest, because I'm still young and I’ve had all these things come to me. I can't believe it. I'm just trying to enjoy it.

‘It is important because when I was younger, I didn't have this role model as a woman's football player in French Guiana. So I try to open the doors for the ones behind me.’

Being a role model is not always easy. For Jean-Francois, her success has come through sheer force of will, breaking through barriers, and being open to new experiences.

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor often talks about the mentality of her players, and it’s clear that this message permeates through to her squad.

‘Being resilient means always keeping a high level of determination,’ says Jean-Francois. ‘Always having the desire to play, to win, to help the team, and to just try to do my best when I'm on the pitch.

‘Mentality is the biggest part of the game for me, because if we're not good, mentally, we're not going to perform on the pitch. It’s a huge part of our performance.’