With the May sun bearing down on Stamford Bridge and Chelsea confirmed as the Women’s Super League’s first ever Invincibles, it was, Aggie Beever-Jones says, “a perfect day”.
The England forward’s goal, in injury time on the final day against Liverpool, confirmed what most observers already knew: Sonia Bompastor’s champions established as English football’s greatest, poised for a second Treble in four years if they can overcome FA Cup holders Manchester United in Sunday’s final.
As Bompastor eluded to, it resonates that it is Beever-Jones leading that charge. An ever-present in the league, the 21-year-old ends the season as Chelsea’s top scorer. The path from Kingsmeadow ball girl to the first team has looked seamless – it has not always been that way.
“I joined the academy when I was around seven or eight and I didn’t get in the first year,” Beever-Jones tells The i Paper.
“I trialled and I had a bit too much energy and was messing around a bit too much. And then re-trialled and got in and was part of the academy pathway until I was 16, 17, then got the opportunity to go with the first team and [former manager] Emma Hayes gave me that opportunity.”
Hayes initially loaned her out to first Bristol City and later Everton, before she returned two years ago. Those spells, on top of her initial snub from the academy, has shaped her into a forward bustling with Alessia Russo to lead England’s attack at this summer’s European Championship, which they go into as defending champions.
“Because I was super young I didn’t think too much of it [not getting into the academy].
“I just thought, ‘I’ll try again next year and keep enjoying football’. I think they said to my dad, ‘she’s in a good place she probably just needs to grow up a little bit’. It’s part of football, you get ups and downs. Luckily I managed to retrial and get back in and haven’t looked back since. Chelsea feels like home for me now.”
Despite not turning 22 until July – her birthday, perhaps fatedly, falls on the day of the Euro 2025 final in Basel – Beever-Jones has been in and around football a long time. She played for boys’ teams when there were no girls’ sides available, and is pleased to see “the change that’s happened in the last 10 years” as she helps at a McDonald’s Fun Football Day. She vows to get more girls the “exposure” to the game for which she had to fight.
In turn, she has benefited from a couple of wise heads who have joined Bompastor’s project. Beever-Jones grew up idolising Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh, and now plays with both for club and country.
“Lucy is a player I’ve always really admired as a young kid,” she says.
“To be able to call her a teammate now is obviously really surreal for me. Lucy’s always said she knows she’s not the most technical player, she works hard and she understands the game well. She’s always giving me feedback. I play across three positions whenever she’s behind me she’s always communicating with me and helping me out.
“The same goes with Keira. I was lucky enough to get called in for England and play with her a little bit and I was mesmerised by half the stuff she would do.
“She’s almost untouchable with the ball – when I found out she was signing for Chelsea I was delighted just because I think she’s a player I can learn a lot off and she’s been a great addition to us. She’s one of the best players in her position and she’s always challenging me when we’re doing shooting to get more goals and push to get better.”
And get better Chelsea did. They eclipsed the points tally of their final title won under Hayes by five points, despite scoring fewer goals. Crucially, they were held to just three draws, seven of their points coming after falling behind.
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“If you look at the games this year, we’ve shown countless times that we don’t give up until the end. One that sticks out for me is Erin Cuthbert scoring the winner against Manchester City at the Etihad and LJ [Lauren James] doing the same against Everton. It just shows the Chelsea mentality of never giving up and always giving it our all.”
Yet the addition of two Champions League winners in Bronze and Walsh did not translate into European success – it is the one milestone that continues to evade them and in fact, it was the duo’s former Barcelona teammates who knocked them out at the semi-final stage, a humbling 8-2 on aggregate.
“The Champions League was devastating for me and the team,” Beever-Jones admits.
“It was obviously the aim and we’re upset we didn’t get there but we have to take learnings away from it and go for it again next year. For us it’s still a successful season, we’ve won two trophies with hopefully one to go.
“United are going to be really up for it, they’re the holders and it’s going to be a really tough game but I know we’ll be ready for it. At Chelsea, we’re known for winning and that’s what we want to do, hopefully we’ll be in a really good place and come home from this weekend with the trophy.”
Aggie Beever-Jones kicked off the first McDonald’s all girls Fun Football Day in preparation and celebration for an exciting summer ahead. With up to 300,000 hours of free football coaching sessions to be provided to kids this summer across the UK. Get involved in a session near you and sign up at www.mcdonalds.co.uk/football
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