Chelsea Ladies sign another England star

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Chelsea Ladies have signed England defender Laura Bassett.

The 30-year-old joins from Birmingham City and goes straight in to the squad which departs for the International Women’s Club Championship in Japan this Saturday.

Bassett has enjoyed a successful career to date, representing her country on 33 occasions, including at the 2009 and 2013 European Championships as well as the 2011 Fifa Women’s World Cup.

At club level, she has been a key member of every club she has represented, with her second stint at Birmingham seeing her lift the 2012 FA Women’s Cup as well as successive FA WSL and Continental Cup runners-up spots.

And she sees no reason why her previous success can’t be emulated with her latest club.

Rachel Williams, Chelsea Ladies
Rachel Williams was recently signed.

“The move is absolutely brilliant and I can’t wait to get started,” said Bassett.

“It’s great that we’ve got an opportunity like Japan to get straight in to the action rather than have to wait until pre-season.

“Chelsea is a massive club with a big-club mentality so it is a new challenge for me, which is exciting.”

Bassett becomes the latest new addition to Chelsea Ladies manager Emma Hayes’ squad, with fellow England international Rachel Williams also joining the club earlier this month.

The England duo will join the rest of the Chelsea squad in Japan for the IWCC, and will meet either Australian League winners Sydney FC or Japanese League runner-up NTV Beleza in the last four, with Japanese Cup and League winners INAC Kobe Leonessa or South American side Colo Colo their potential final opponent.

And while Bassett admits she doesn’t know too much about their opponents in Japan, she is excited to have the opportunity to lift some silverware so early in her Chelsea career.

She said: “Japan is a fantastic opportunity. It is the time of the year where we tend to relax physically and mentally but when an opportunity like this comes along you have to take it to experience the culture, the travel and to play in a tournament like it.

“It’s a great chance to settle in and meet the team both on and off the pitch so when January comes round it makes that transition much easier.

“It will be a good test out there. I don’t know loads about the opposition but it will be a good test and great to get minutes in a Chelsea shirt.”

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