By Matt Wright
Jess Carter is preparing to help England defend their Women’s Euros title this summer after the defender took the big step of moving far away from her Warwick roots a year ago. Carter, 27, burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old with Birmingham City before making the move to Chelsea and became a European champion with the Lionesses during her time in west London. She also played a big part in their run to the 2023 Women’s World Cup final in Australia, but this time she will be representing Gotham FC after signing for the National Women’s Soccer League side. Here is how Carter made it as an international star for club and country… Grassroots glory Warwick is where it all began for Carter and there is now a plaque to commemorate the first steps of her career, installed in 2022 as part of the “Where Greatness Is Made” campaign. Carter’s first steps in football came while playing for her local side, Warwick Juniors. After seeing her brother playing on Sundays, she started having a kickabout from the age of five and the rest, as they say, is history. By the time she was seven years old, Carter was playing for the girls’ side and it was early in her football development that she figured out how she would play the game. She said: “I’ve only got good memories from grassroots; I am really lucky to have had the coaches I had. “My main thing is to have fun – if you are not having fun, you will not do your best, so make sure you are having fun and just make sure you are working hard. “That also means, don’t come away from the pitch with any regrets or what you could have done differently – just give it your all and that will be enough.” Those words quickly came to fruition, as Carter captained Warwick Juniors to the Birmingham FA County Cup Championship in 2013, which helped her to earn a place in the Birmingham City Academy. Rapid rise Joining at the age of just 15, Carter would have been forgiven for not expecting to be involved with the Blues’ senior side at first. But her talent was clear for all to see and only a year after joining the academy, she made her senior debut as a 16-year-old against Arsenal. However, this was no run-of-the mill league fixture; this was the first leg of a Women’s Champions League quarter-final in the 2013/14 season. To say it went well would be an understatement, as she was named Player of the Match in a brilliant display with Birmingham defeating the Gunners. She made 20 appearances that season, quickly becoming a crucial player for Birmingham, which was soon rewarded by international recognition as she earned a call-up to the England U17 squad. Further honours followed, as Carter made her way through the age groups, playing for England U19, U20 and U21. And after an incredible season for the Blues, which saw her feature in the WSL PFA Team of the Year and named the PFA Young Player of the Year for the 2016/17 season, Carter made her England debut. Aged just 19, she came on for fellow World Cup finalist Lucy Bronze in the 77th minute as the Lionesses defeated Kazakhstan 5-0 in November 2017 – it would, however, be four years until she played for the Lionesses again. She went on to make a total of 94 appearances for Birmingham City, scoring one goal in the process, before she caught the attention of another team who play in blue. Bump in the road As a fully-fledged international and having played almost 100 times at the top level, Emma Hayes decided Carter was a player she wanted in her all-conquering Chelsea squad in June 2018. Still just 20, it seemed the dream move for both Carter and the club, but it did not quite go to plan initially. She started just 11 times in her first three seasons at Chelsea in the Women’s Super League, scoring her first goal for the club in a 6-1 win over Bristol City. That lack of game time saw her disappear from the England picture and after bringing her into the club, Hayes threatened to sell Carter. “I paid a lot of money for you, if you don’t improve, I’m selling you,” Hayes told her. Hayes’ tough stance came from a good place, shown in the results she has had over the years, and it undoubtedly played a part in getting Carter to where she is today. Breakthrough season Three years after joining Chelsea, Carter finally had her breakthrough season in London. Forming a key part of the defence with Magdalena Eriksson and England centre-back Millie Bright, she played in 33 matches in the 2021/22 season, scoring one goal in the Women’s League Cup. It was a year of great success both personally and for the team, as Carter and Chelsea lifted the WSL and Women’s FA Cup double. Her form also saw her return to international duty as she was called into the squad four years after making her debut, with new coach Sarina Wiegman impressed with what she had seen. Carter scored her first England goal in the record 20-0 win over Latvia during qualification for the 2023 Women’s World Cup and remained a part of the squad for what turned out to be an unforgettable 2022 for the Lionesses. From the outskirts to the core Carter’s form for club and country saw her named in the England squad for their successful Women’s Euro 2022 campaign. She did, however, only play 16 minutes in that campaign, coming on in their final group stage match against Northern Ireland. But following another WSL and FA Cup double with Chelsea, she became a crucial player for Wiegman in 2023, with the absence of injured captain Leah Williamson coming to her advantage. She started five matches during the World Cup, including an excellent performance as England defeated Australia 3-1 in the semi-final to book their spot in a second major tournament final in as many years. While she did not feature on that fateful day at Wembley, Carter started as part of a back three alongside Bright and Alex Greenwood for the showpiece against Spain in Sydney, which ended in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss. It was a campaign, however, that truly established her as a key and reliable performer for her country. Moving Stateside Carter would have one more season at Chelsea – their last under Hayes’ management – and inevitably it ended with success as a 6-0 rout of Manchester United at Old Trafford secured another WSL title. The following summer, she moved to New York to sign for Gotham FC in the NWSL, helping her new side finish third in the table before losing to Washington Spirit – including Lionesses team-mate Esme Morgan – in the play-off semi-finals. On what made her decide to try life in the United States, Carter told The Equalizer: “I really want to be part of the journey, especially after seeing what they’ve done already and what [head coach] Juan Carlos [Amoros] has achieved with the team. “Gotham also shares my same values. How you treat people and how the team is treated are my biggest values. “I think that I can really become a better football player when I’m surrounded by people who treat other people well and really care for one another as people before footballers. That’s the most important thing.” Carter returned to international duty with England this summer off the back of helping Gotham win the CONCACAF W Champions Cup by beating Mexican side Tigres in the final. Along with Morgan and goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, she is one of three NWSL-based players in the Lionesses squad who have been picked for the task of ensuring they defend their Euros title in Switzerland.