Lionesses star Jess Carter signs for NWSL champion Gotham FC as ex-Chelsea defender reunites with fiancé Ann-Katrin Berger

Carter has spent the last six years in London with the Blues, winning 11 trophies and reaching a Champions League final. She has also become an established member of the England team in the last 12 months, starring in the run to the 2023 Women's World Cup after being part of the squad that won the 2022 European Championship. Despite only being 26 years old, she brings plenty of experience to Gotham.

That's not to say experience is something the NWSL champion lacks, having spent the months before the 2024 season assembling a sort of 'super team' that includes United States women's national team stars such as Emily Sonnett, Tierna Davidson, Rose Lavelle, Crystal Dunn and Lynn Williams. Those additions have helped an already strong team sit in a good place during the mid-season break, currently fourth and well inside the playoff spots.

Speaking exclusively to The Equalizer as the move was revealed, Carter said: “I’ve always been interested in the NWSL – my dad’s side of the family is from here and ever since I was young I’ve paid a lot of attention to the league. It was always about timing, but over the years I have seen the league grow in a really positive direction.

“I really want to be part of the journey, especially after seeing what they’ve done already and what [head coach] Juan Carlos [Amorós] has achieved with the team. Gotham also shares my same values. How you treat people and how the team is treated are my biggest values. I think that I can really become a better football player when I’m surrounded by people who treat other people well, and really care for one another as people before footballers. That’s the most important thing."

This move also reunites Carter with goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, to whom she became engaged in May. The pair used to play together at Chelsea before Berger left the club for Gotham back in April.

The Lionesses star will be available for selection for her new club as of August 1 and so could debut against Guadalajara in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup just a couple of days later. There is also the chance of an early Chelsea reunion, as Gotham plays the English champion in August in a friendly match.