Five WSL titles, three Women’s FA Cups, two League Cups, and a Community Shield—when you’ve managed to win such prestigious trophies, especially with a team like Chelsea, you’d consider yourself lucky. And in this case, it’s Jess Carter. After all, not everyone gets to enjoy such dominance with a world-class club. In fact, it’s a dream for many to reach such highs in their domestic careers. Yet, in Carter’s eyes, it still wasn’t enough—eventually leading her to leave the WSL giants and join, wait for it, Gotham FC.
An English born who began her career playing for Warwick and Birmingham, to finally make her way through a team like Chelsea, the versatile defender and midfielder had spent close to a couple of decades in her country. So it was only natural for the 27-year-old to finally start looking out for a change. The solution was not to join yet another European rival, but rather to change an entire continent.
The United States was the only place that checked all of Carter’s boxes. Not to mention, with her dad and his family being from the States, she also holds American citizenship. So, naturally, that played a small but meaningful role in her decision to join the NWSL. “I always wanted to come to the US,” began Jess on the latest episode of The Women’s Game podcast, “but to be quite open I thought I was probably not going to do this until I retired.”
“Gotham actually showed interest the year before. I’d said it’s definitely something I’m open to in the future just not right now,” revealed the former Birmingham defender until her decision suddenly changed, when her girlfriend Ann-Katrin Berger, ended up joining the Bats—something she felt was totally out of the blue. Now, of course, saying yes just when her significant other joined was something that Jess felt uncomfortable doing. But she still ended up thinking “Okay then let’s just see how this goes.”
Credits: X/NWSL
Even though she was enjoying plenty of success at Chelsea—playing regularly and winning trophies—Jess Carter eventually found herself increasingly unfulfilled, both on and off the pitch. That only led her to visit Gotham FC during the offseason, where she was left in awe after watching the club’s vibrant matchday atmosphere and a strong sense of community.
From FanFest festivities to the energy of the crowd, Jess loved the experience, ultimately influencing her decision to make the move to the NWSL side. She even termed it “such an amazing experience that you don’t have in Europe—or in the UK, at least,” before adding, “Maybe just on, like, an FA Cup final day. But it’s a whole day out. It’s not just a football game; it’s a day where everybody comes together.”
It was finally she watched the NWSL play a game, which also left her mesmerized. What truly surprised her, though, was hearing Anne—someone she considered not particularly expressive—speak so highly of the club. Carter even expected Anne to return by the end of the season, but her girlfriend’s exact words — ‘This is the sort of place that you would love’ — struck a chord with the defender.
Rest, having a word with Gotham FC made her realize how her values align perfectly with hers—especially their emphasis on life beyond the pitch. “I love football, I want to win, but if I’m not happy off the pitch, nothing else matters.” After all, Jess was someone who lived by the principle of being “a person before a footballer,” something she felt had been lost during her time in England.
In fact, the 2022 Euro winner insisted that playing in WSL felt more like a business than a community. “I’ve been lucky enough to win so much with Chelsea and play for an incredible team and incredible club, and with amazing players, but it just wasn’t enough that was making me happy,” added Carter, sharing how Gotham convinced her to leave the highs of Europe and enjoy an experience she lived never before. Well, if you think it ends here, the only spoiler alert for you is that there’s more!
How Gotham FC boss play a crucial role in Jess Carter’s arrival?
Beyond the energetic atmosphere, head coach Juan Carlos also changed Jess Carter’s perspective about how the beautiful game is played in the US. More importantly, it was the kind of role the former Chelsea star got to play that even though it has been just a year since she arrived in the States, the 27-year-old is so much more expressive about her time so far.
Credits: X/NWSL
“He was asking me to do stuff on the ball that no one ever asked me to do,” remarked Carter, insisting that the Spanish tactician’s constant praising of “You’re a great defender, you can defend well,” also left her flattered, but more than when she literally saw Juan having prepared an entire presentation on how he would utilize her presence on the pitch.
Beyond constant praise, Carlos hardly sugarcoated anything for Jess, even pointing out her weaknesses—particularly her technical ability—and explaining how she could improve them through consistent hard work. “Now I’ve never been so out of my comfort zone, playing for a team where it’s like, always play forward.”
“He would rather me lose the ball ten times trying to play forward and create something than just go back to the keeper, or just defend, or just go long ball,” concluded Carter.
And boy it has been a favorable collaboration between Jess Carter and Gotham FC, as both are certainly working out quite well for each other.
The post Former Chelsea Star Reveals Reason Behind Ditching WSL Success for NWSL’s Gotham FC: “I’m Not Happy” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
