Keira Walsh praised goalscorer Aggie Beever-Jones as Chelsea edged a 1-0 win over Leicester City at Kingsmeadow.
Beever-Jones has scored in each of the Blues’ first three Women’s Super League matches this season.
“It takes a lot of pressure off everyone else!” Walsh told Sky Sports after the match. “We know that when she’s in front of goal, she always scores, and it’s incredible stats. For such a young player to be so composed in front of goal, I think not many players have that from such a young age.
“She’s just a great character to have in the squad. When we’re away from the pitch, she’s an incredible person, and we’re lucky to have her.”
Adding that if Mayra Ramirez was fit, the Blues would have three world-class strikers at their disposal, the England international also welcomed back Sam Kerr after almost two years out with a knee injury.
“She’s a massive character. You only have to look at what she’s done in the women’s game and what she’s done for this team. You can feel the lift she brings even being in and around the changing room. We’re very lucky she’s back.”
Keira Walsh: Leicester City made it tough for us
Walsh said that Leicester had been tricky opponents, and reflected on what Sonia Bompastor’s side might have liked to have done differently in an ideal world.
“It was a difficult game. I think Leicester made it very tough for us. I think if we were honest, we would have liked to have had more control in the game, I think in large parts of the game we weren’t in control. I think that’s what we want to do this season. Credit to Leicester, I think they made it very difficult for us today.”
And she pointed out that interim boss Rick Passmoor had set the Foxes up in a new and challenging way.
“You look at previous years, they have sat in a little bit lower and soaked up pressure. Today, they came out, came to play, and made it very, very difficult for us.
“I think for us it’s just going back to the drawing board, maybe looking at where we could have found the spaces a little bit better. I think their keeper [Janina Leitzig] made some incredible saves in the first half, but second half, we’d have liked to have made some more chances as well.”
Chelsea have won all three of their WSL matches so far.
