Chelsea Ladies captain Katie Chapman reflects on her final game as a professional footballer, which was also the last match of the Blues' unbeaten WSL1 campaign.
One of the most decorated footballers in the history of the sport bows out of the game as a Double winner, having helped clinch the league and FA Cup trophies in the final few weeks of her career.
Her last game will certainly be one to live long in the memory, as we came back to beat Liverpool 3-2 after trailing by two after only eight minutes, a result which meant we avoided defeat in each of our 18 WSL1 fixtures.
'It’s been a hard season for us,' said Chapman, who has been a regular fixture in the side during a gruelling final two months of the campaign. 'It was a tired start from us against Liverpool, but we picked up our quality and credit to ourselves, we got ourselves back into it.
'I’m definitely going to miss it now that I'm retired. We’ve got great fans at Chelsea and I thank all of them for the support.
'I always wanted to go out at the top and now it’s time to move on to the next chapter and the next challenge. I’m sure I’ll get itchy feet in August. Right now I just need a break, but I’m sure once pre-season comes around I’ll start to feel it.
'But there will be other challenges to keep me occupied. I’m staying involved at the club as a global ambassador and I’ll be watching the games, so I’ll still be around it.'
The last word was reserved for her team-mates, after they sent her off into retirement with the bumps on the Prenton Park pitch.
'They scared the life out of me because they threw me so high,' joked the skipper. 'It was really nice of them, it shows respect, and I love all the girls here.'
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