Chelsea make HISTORY with 17-year-old signing
Cameron Smith
- 3 Sept 2023 19:35 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea have made history with yet another piece of business as Lexi Potter has become the youngest female footballer of all-time to sign a professional contract in England.
The 17-year-old, who is a product of Chelsea’s Cobham academy, has signed her first professional contract, which runs until 2026.
In doing so, she has become the first women’s player in English history to sign a professional deal under the age of 18.
Potter joined Chelsea’s academy aged just eight and has progressed through the ranks at Cobham since then, winning the FA Youth Cup at U16 level and the FA Women’s Academy Cup in 2022-23.
She also captained the England U17 side that reached the semi-finals at the European Championships this past summer. Potter will join Crystal Palace Women on loan for the 2023-24 campaign.
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What has been said?
In an official statement on Chelsea’s website, Potter said: “It’s an absolute dream come true for me and my family. I’ve been here since I was eight years old and it’s everything you could ever dream of. I’m really grateful and really excited for the future.”
Academy midfielder Lexi Potter has become the first female player in the country to sign a professional contract at the age of 17! 🙌💙 pic.twitter.com/Jnwetg3w4i
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) September 3, 2023
Her comments were followed up by quotes from Chelsea Women General Manager Paul Green, who said: “Lexi is a very bright prospect and we’re really proud that we have been able to make her the first female player to sign a professional contract at the age of 17 in the country.
“We’ve got really high hopes for her in the future and look forward to seeing her develop and improve in the upcoming years.
“We believe the loan to Crystal Palace is a great opportunity for Lexi to gain minutes playing in a competitive league and will be a good step for her to experience senior football.”
Chelsea Women start their 2023-24 WSL campaign against Tottenham Hotspur Women on 1 October.
