One of the biggest stories of the January transfer window waited until the eleventh hour on deadline day to properly unfold, that story? Chloe Kelly returning to Arsenal from Manchester City 2,801 days after she last scored for Arsenal in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
The Halfway Line got the opportunity to sit down with the iconic Lioness and speak to her about the North London derby on Sunday, deadline day drama and much more…
‘I have a smile on my face’ Chloe Kelly on returning to Arsenal
It was all quite dramatic on deadline day, firstly, reports suggested a move to Manchester United, then to Brighton before Arsenal swooped in to secure her signature. The 27-year-old winger played for Arsenal early in her career before moving to Everton and then Manchester City, Kelly was asked how it felt to be back:
“It’s amazing to be back. I feel very settled already, and it feels like yesterday that I was here. So it was easy to settle. I’ve already got a smile on my face and I’m enjoying training and playing under a top manager in Renée [Slegers] and [with] a great bunch of girls.”
She continued “[it has been a] very warm welcome. I think it was an easy dressing room to step into, which was great. All the girls have been amazing with me, making sure that I’m settling in. And I think the staff have been great too. I think it’s a real warm club. It’s a very classy club, so I felt at home straight away.”
Kelly’s time at Manchester City ended with relationships strained and Kelly was asked how she is feeling now, she replied sincerely:
“It’s been tough, mentally, it’s been tough. It’s been draining at times. But I think for me, I know I’m a professional, and I know I hold myself to a high level, but I think as a human, it was a tough time for me and I’m ready to move forward now.”
Kelly on her social media statements ‘the support I received was incredible’
Chloe Kelly took to social media on deadline day to release statements about her situation at Manchester City prior to signing for Arsenal, and the question of how she felt at the time was raised, she paused before responding:
“I felt a sigh of relief after I shared my statement. I think it had been a long time coming, of course. And I really felt good in that moment, I felt powerful, as women we should but I think the support that I received from that was incredible. It was still a dark time for me because I didn’t know how my future looked. But for me, it was a release that I had spoken and how I needed to speak and whether my move got over the line or not. I was grateful to be able to share my words.”
On the period being a ‘dark time’ for her Kelly replied:
“It’s tough using the people around me is really important outside of football. I actually got myself a little puppy during the time as well. So I think it’s using people around you is really important, but also never getting too low with the lows, never too high with the highs.”
Kelly continued, “for me, in 2022, I was still not even training on the pitch with the team in this moment. So I think the best is yet to come for me. So I’m excited for the future. And wearing this badge with pride is what I’ll do. And I’m excited to play in front of our amazing fans at the North London Derby now.”
Kelly excited to hear ‘the noise from our fans’
Kelly has the chance to make her second Arsenal debut on Sunday in one of the most consequential games of the season for Arsenal, as it is every season, at home to Tottenham. One of the assembled media asked Kelly if this was her first North London derby? Kelly confirmed:
“[it is] my second, I played against Spurs many years ago.”
When asked how it went? Kelly laughed,
“Yeah, I think I scored, so…” she joked with a glint in her eye.
That result was a 10-0 win in the FA Cup way back in 2017 but a lot has changed since then. For one, Arsenal’s predominant home ground is now the Emirates, the Halfway Line asked Kelly about playing at the Emirates and how many times she had played there before, Kelly reflected:
“I played for Manchester City at the start of the season at the Emirates but I remember my first session at the Emirates. We trained at the Emirates with the young girls when I was coming up with the first team and the development squad, so that was an incredible moment for me to train at the Emirates. My dad came on the pitch at the end of the session. We took a nice picture. So for me, that was a special memory. And I’m here to create many more special memories, too.”Â
Kelly continued: “I’m really looking forward to stepping out and hearing the noise from our fans.”
‘Are you coming? Will we see you tomorrow?’ Kelly recalls deadline day drama
Everyone wants to know how transfer deals go down, especially those that happen so late in the day on deadline day. Kelly was asked what she was doing when she discovered Arsenal’s interest, she responded:
“Do you know what, I was at the driving range of my husband. I thought, do you know what: I’m going to switch off for the day. He was sat on FIFA and he said, let’s go and just get out the house. So we went to the driving range and Arsenal contacted and it was a great conversation.”
Kelly continued: “I remember calling my family straight away to tell them. My brother went upstairs, put his Arsenal shirt on. And yeah, so straight away, I felt my family were really excited for the move as well, which put a smile on my face. And they always say your roots pull you back, and they definitely did in this situation.”
As for her golfing future: “I’m going to get myself a set of clubs and see how it goes” she laughed.
Kelly went on to explain that she had been in contact with Leah Williamson and Alessia Russo on the day, she recalled:
“[I was texting] Leah [Williamson] and Less [Alessia Russo] a lot. They were all messaging me because they obviously had seen the news that I could be coming and they were like, are you coming? Will we see you tomorrow? I was like, I don’t know. And yeah, so it was quite short one-word answers to them like, I don’t know, we’ll see.”
‘I play with my heart on my sleeve and so does she!’ Chloe Kelly on Katie McCabe
When Arsenal released the news that Kelly had signed, it was with the help of their Irish left back Katie McCabe. McCabe pretended to throw the ball into the back of Kelly’s head as she had done in their WSL encounter a couple of years ago, before she handed the ball to Kelly who confirmed she’d signed.
McCabe was of course once a team mate of Kelly at Arsenal and the pair had enjoyed some brilliant battles in the years since she joined Manchester City. The Halfway Line just had to ask, how are things between Kelly and McCabe since she’s joined?
Kelly laughed, “We’ve always gotten on so well, me and Katie. We’ve had a good relationship. I remember when she first came over to the club and we had a really good relationship because I have some Irish background in my family, so we got on really well speaking about my family and where she grew up. So I think me and Katie have always had a really good relationship on the pitch, we both as I said before I play with my heart on my sleeve and so does she. And I think when it’s really competitive, once the game’s done, you shake hands with your friends”
Kelly continued “I think when you play football, you want to win and you want to do everything you can to win. But I think to be back here and Katie, obviously, in my announcement video, it was amazing to see her. I did say to her, I’ll be wearing me shinnies [shin pads], but she’s an amazing girl. I think one that I can learn so much from as well and in training to go up against her is going to be incredible and has been incredible, so she’s a top girl and a top player, so I’m excited.”
Chloe Kelly on her ambitions ‘I’ve always got fire in my belly’
It is quite remarkable that even as the player who ended all those years of English pain at Wembley in 2022, Kelly still feels like she has something to prove and yet Kelly feels she does. She mused on her ambitions:
“I think me as a player, if you know me, I’ve always got fire in my belly. I think I always play with my heart on my sleeve and I think it’s really important that I go out there to be my best every session and every game. I wouldn’t say it’s even revenge, I’d say it’s just going out there and being happy. I think that’s how I look at football, it’s my happy place. From when I was a little girl I just loved the game and for me now, it’s important that I show what I’m capable of on the big stage.”
