Wales skipper Sophie Ingle has put pen to paper on a new contract extension with Chelsea that sees the midfielder stay at the club until the summer of 2025.
The 31-year-old has made 15 appearances this season for Chelsea across all competitions, scoring two goals in the Women's Champions League, the first in a home victory over Real Madrid.
Ingle's two-year extension ensures that sufficient game time will continue at the top level as Wales Women prepare for qualifiers in 2023 in their bid for a place at the 2025 European Championships. Wales fell to a World Cup qualifying play-off final defeat to Switzerland in October, ending a remarkable first campaign under Gemma Grainger.
On her contract extension with Chelsea, Ingle said: "I feel like this club is home away from home. I’ve settled in from the very first moment that I signed about five years ago. I’m really delighted to continue this journey with this amazing club."
General manager Paul Green said of Ingle’s extension: "She has great experience and is a leader within the group. She has been a key player in our success over the last few years, and we look forward to that continuing."
Long heralded as an unsung hero for her percipience and composure in midfield, Ingle has continued to display her strength and aplomb in a season which threatened to wobble out of Chelsea's control early on.
Ingle first joined Chelsea in 2012 from Cardiff City Ladies, where she lifted the Welsh Cup. Deployed predominantly at centre-half, Ingle enjoyed a first spell with Chelsea before moving to Bristol City where she relished a memorable Champions League victory over Barcelona and later on took on the captain's armband.
Following Bristol City's relegation from the WSL, Ingle moved to Liverpool and after establishing herself as a force within the squad she twice won the club's Player of the Year award.
Afterwards, a return to the Blues followed, where Ingle's selflessness has been pivotal in the club's domestic dominance, including successive seasons of league and cup doubles.
Wales return to competitive action in February in the Pinatar Cup in Spain, where they will face Philippines, Iceland and Scotland.
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