'Growing up, this was the team that made me who I want to be' - USWNT star and Chelsea summer signing Mia Fishel has been a Blue since she was eight-years-old, shaping her career off the West London club

• Fishel signed from Tigres in January
• USWNT star grew up following Chelsea
• Eden Hazard was her favourite

WHAT HAPPENED? The Blues signed Fishel from Tigres on the back of a sensational two-year stint with the Mexican outfit where she bagged 38 goals in 48 appearances. In an exclusive interview with Evening Standard, the 22-year-old opened up on her Chelsea fandom as a child and how the likes of Eden Hazard helped shape her as a footballer.

WHAT THEY SAID: “My brother is ­Arsenal [fan] and my dad was Liverpool [fan], so I rocked the blue shirt and supported Chelsea since I was eight years old,” told Fishel in an interview with Evening Standard. “Eden Hazard was my favourite player, because I just loved how he played."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Fishel joins a formidable Chelsea side who are looking to win their fifth straight domestic title. The forward revealed that she matches the ambition of the club and is raring to win titles with the South London outfit.

“Growing up, this was the team that made me who I want to be. The competitiveness, the wanting to win, I want to be part of this ­history. I want to win titles, I want to win championships, I want to play in the Champions League and dominate. My ambition, just like this club, is to be the best.”

Fishel has been brought in to provide competition for Sam Kerr. Nonetheless, she could rake up significant minutes in the opening few matches as the Australian has had a draining summer that included participating in the World Cup.

"Emma (Hayes) was telling me Sam Kerr didn’t have a backup [last season],” said Fishel.

“She had to play a lot of minutes and she didn’t have another person to come in when she needed it. For the team to be better, I needed to come in to help Sam Kerr when she didn’t need to be in the game. That [means] a big role.”

IN TWO PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? After making her debut for the USWNT against South Africa in a friendly match at Soldier Field, she might realise her dream of playing in a Blue jersey on Sunday when Hayes' troops take on Tottenham in their WSL campaign opener.