Chloe Kelly finds her smile with second Arsenal career ready to launch | OneFootball

The fact that Chloe Kelly says she has a “smile on my face” five times in the 20 minutes she spends sitting in Arsenal’s London Colney training ground surrounded by media is perhaps the greatest indication of how she feels having shrugged free of the stalemate scenario at Manchester City.

Kelly’s deadline-day move came in a whirlwind, after months frozen out of the City starting lineup meant she made only one start in the first half of the season despite injuries piling up. Her England place at risk, the 27-year-old desperately needed minutes, and a move was the only option. On the evening of 29 January, less than 24 hours before the transfer window shut, Kelly went public on social media regarding her frustration at City dictating “whom I can and can’t join”. Amid reported interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Brighton, she said it was having “a huge impact on not only my career but my mental wellbeing. Ultimately, I just want to be happy again.”

That public proclamation helped drive through a loan to Arsenal, the club she left aged 20 in search of regular football. She is happy again, she says, and so is her family. Her brother ran upstairs to pull on his Arsenal shirt when told the news that the deal was on. Kelly herself spent the day at the driving range with her husband to try to take her mind off the frenetic talks taking place.

The first half of the season was extremely “mentally tough”, she says. “It’s been draining at times. I know I’m a professional and I know I hold myself to a high level, but as a human, it was a tough time for me and I’m ready to move forward.”

You might assume that Kelly had felt nervous pressing send on the social media post that would make headlines and further damage her relationship with City but instead she felt a weight had been lifted. “I felt a sigh of relief after I shared my statement,” she says. “It had been a long time coming. I felt relief and I really felt good at that moment. I also felt powerful; as women we should. It was still a dark time for me because I didn’t know how my future looked but the support that I received from that was incredible.”

Why relief? “It was a relief that I had spoken out and, whether my move got over the line or not, I was grateful to be able to share my words.”

Kelly leaned heavily on friends and family during the tough past six months and “got myself a little puppy”, she says with a grin. “Using people around you is really important,” she says.

“But it’s also important to not get too low with the lows and never too high with the highs in this game. In 2022, I wasn’t even training on the pitch with the team at this time of year [during her recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury].

“When I’m at my best I have a smile on my face. Sport isn’t always a journey that goes upwards – there’s going to be some bumps in the road throughout. I was able to bounce back from my injury and this time round I’m hoping my bouncebackability is strong again. I’m a really resilient person so I’m ready for the fight again and I’m ready to show what I’m capable of again.”

Winning a place in the England squad for the Euros, after her late winner earned victory in the 2022 final, is the ultimate goal, but Kelly has been left out of Sarina Wiegman’s latest squad. “Sarina’s an amazing manager and who I respect so much and I respect what she’s done for English football,” she says. “I completely understand her decision and I’m ready to get good training under my belt, good minutes under my belt, be at the best level possible come the summer and to fight to get my shirt back.”

Three games on from her move, Kelly is finally eligible to play, having been unable to feature against City in the WSL or League Cup semi-finals and been FA Cup-tied. If she makes her second Arsenal debut in the north London derby against Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, it will have been 2,815 days since she last laced up her boots for the side.

The manager, Renée Slegers, was cagey about whether Kelly will play, saying: “I look forward to her first minutes for Arsenal and we’ll see when that is.”

Kelly’s recruitment is a win-win for Arsenal, who get an experienced England international burning to do well, in a position where they are light.

“I’ve always got fire in my belly,” says Kelly. “I always play with my heart on my sleeve and it’s really important that I go out there to be my best every session and every game. It’s just going out there and being happy. That’s how I look at football: it’s my happy place. From when I was a little girl, I just loved the game. Now, it’s important that I show what I’m capable of on the big stage.”

The Emirates Stadium has a special place in her memories too. She played there with City at the start of the season but when she walks out in red it will be the first time for Arsenal since she trained there as a girl. “My dad came on the pitch at the end of the session – we took a nice picture,” she says. “That was a special memory. And I’m here to create many more special memories.”

Header image: [Photograph: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC/Getty Images]