Jess Carter

Jess Carter (born 27 October 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Chelsea and the England national team. She began her senior career at Birmingham City and has represented England from under-19 to under-23 youth level.

In 2017, Carter was awarded PFA Young Player of the Year and named in the PFA WSL Team of the Year. With Chelsea, she has won multiple WSL titles, FA Cups, and League Cups; with England, Carter is a European Championship and Finalissima winner, as well as a World Cup runner-up.

Early life
As a youth, Carter captained the Warwick Juniors to the County Cup championship; a plaque honouring Carter was installed at the club in 2022 as part of the "Where Greatness Is Made" campaign.

Birmingham City
In June 2013, she joined the Birmingham City Academy. In March 2014 at the age of 16, Carter made her debut for Birmingham City in a match against Arsenal in the first leg of the 2013–14 UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-final. She was subsequently named player of the match.

Chelsea
In June 2018, Carter joined Chelsea on a three-year contract from Birmingham City. In the 2018–19 season she made only 16 starts in games, six of which came from the League Cup.

Sports writer Jonathan Liew described it as a difficult patch in her early career, where she would be frequently late for training and miss fitness targets. According to Liew, she was put on a personalised diet and received "a certain micromanagement" by Chelsea staff, in order to get back her career on track. Carter has credited manager Emma Hayes with her development both on and off the pitch.

In January 2020, in the 2019–20 season, Carter scored her debut goal for the club in a 6–1 win over Bristol City. On 2 May 2021, Carter helped Chelsea reach the Champions League final, taking the free-kick that Pernille Harder would score from, to put the team ahead (on aggregate) in the 2nd leg of the 2020–21 Champions League semi final. She featured in the final two weeks later as right-back, where she struggled against Barcelona's exceptional wide-play, resulting in a 4–0 defeat. Carter nonetheless ended the 2020–21 season as a domestic treble winner with Chelsea.

Carter had her career breakthrough during the 2021–22 season, forming the key part of the defensive back three with teammates Millie Bright and Magdalena Eriksson.

In October 2022, Carter extended her Chelsea contract to remain at the club as a defender until 2025. On 23 November 2022, Carter made her 100th appearance for the club against Real Madrid.

Youth
Carter has represented England in the U19, U20, U21 and U23 youth teams.

In January 2014, during her debut for the England under-19 team, she scored against Norway. In April, Carter played as a forward in the 2014 U-19 Championship qualification matches against Denmark and Finland, with England qualifying for the final tournament. On 18 June 2014, she featured in the under-23 squad in the Nordic Tournament, losing 3–0 to Norway. In July, Carter was named as part of the under-20 squad for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, as a forward player.

After her senior international debut in 2017, Carter was named in the under-21 squad as a defender for La Manga Tournament. In April 2019, she featured as part of the starting eleven in England's 2–1 victory over France, followed by being sent off for a second bookable offence in a loss to Norway.

Senior
In April 2017, after her earlier role as striker in England's youth teams, Carter received her first call up to the senior team, as a defender, for fixtures against Italy and Austria. On 28 November 2017, she made her senior international debut in 2019 World Cup qualification against Kazakhstan, replacing Lucy Bronze in the 77th minute as England won 5–0.

In June 2022, after not playing for the senior team from 2017–2021, Carter was part the England squad which won the UEFA Women's Euro 2022, playing a total of 16 minutes in the tournament. In November 2022, Carter was allotted 201 in the FA legacy numbers scheme.

In May 2023, Carter was named to the squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She started in five of six matches in the tournament, as an integral part of England's back three, credited with ensuring the team only conceded three goals up until the final. In the final and playing as a right-back, where England lost 1–0 to Spain, Carter was ranked second best player for England by BBC Sport, after goalkeeper Mary Earps.

Style of play
Carter has been described by Jonathan Liew as calm in possession, relatively error-free, and with "exceptional read of the game". According to The Independent, she is "one of the best one-on-one defenders in the Women's Super League".

Early in her career from 2013–2018, Carter begun as a defender and midfielder for Birmingham City, and in 2014, she played as a forward with England under-19s and under-20s. With Chelsea, she started as a full-back in 2018 before becoming a centre-back. A right footed and versatile defender, Carter has played both left-back and right-back for England and Chelsea, but prefers not to play on the left. She believes her skills are best used as part of a back-three formation.

Personal life
Carter was born in England to an American father and English mother, and holds both British and American citizenship. Since 2017, she has been in a relationship with her former Chelsea teammate Ann-Katrin Berger. In May 2024, they announced their engagement.

Carter is an ambassador for an all-female football academy run by former Arsenal youth player, Judan Ali.

International

 * Statistics accurate as of match played 16 July 2024.


 * Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Carter goal.

Honours
Chelsea
 * FA Women's Super League: 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
 * Women's FA Cup: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
 * FA Women's League Cup: 2019–20, 2020–21
 * FA Community Shield: 2020

England


 * FIFA Women's World Cup runner-up: 2023
 * UEFA Women's Championship: 2022
 * Women's Finalissima: 2023
 * Arnold Clark Cup: 2022, 2023

Individual
 * FA WSL PFA Team of the Year: 2017
 * PFA Young Player of the Year: 2016–17
 * Freedom of the City of London (announced 1 August 2022)
 * PFA Community Champion Award: 2022–23
 * Chelsea Women's Player's Player of the Year: 2023–24
 * UEFA Women's Champions League Team of the Season: 2023–24