GOALIn her first season in England, the midfielder has already made her first-team breakthrough at the club that has won the last five WSL titles
When GOAL asked Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor what she had seen in Wieke Kaptein that prompted her to hand the teenage midfielder such a prominent role in the Blues' pre-season campaign this summer, she was straight to the point. "That's really simple," she replied. "She is performing."
It's Kaptein's first year with the Women's Super League champions, who have a squad stacked with enough quality to have lifted that title in five successive seasons. That she has been able to make such an immediate impact, then, is a testament to her talent, her work ethic and, despite being just 19 years old, her experience.
When Chelsea made the short journey to Twente last week, to take on the Dutch club that played such a huge role in Kaptein's development, through three memorable and trophy-laden seasons in the first team, the pride that those in the area have in watching one of their own thrive at one of the biggest clubs in the women's game was evident. When it was the turn of the Dutch press to direct questions to Bompastor and Chelsea defender Kadeisha Buchanan, they were all about Kaptein.
It was then that Bompastor was able to reiterate what she had already said in the build-up to the teenager's first season in blue. "She will be a really important player for us through the season, for sure," the coach said. "No matter her age, she's performing and that's the most important thing."
