'It was fate' - Lionesses star Lucy Bronze reveals conversation that led to Chelsea transfer and why she believes move has made England boss Sarina Wiegman 'happy'

Bronze joined the Blues this summer after leaving Barcelona, where she won two Champions League titles in two seasons. Reports suggested that both the player and the club wanted to continue together when her contract came up in Catalunya, but Bronze's desire for more game time led her elsewhere.

It was a surprise move in some ways, because Chelsea already have two top-level right-backs in the squad, in Eve Perisset and Ashley Lawrence. However, Bronze has now revealed the conversation she had with the Blues' new head coach, Sonia Bompastor, and her assistant, Camille Abily, when they were in charge of the Lyon side that faced Barcelona in the Champions League final in May, one which persuaded her to move back to England.

"I was ready for a new challenge. I hadn't really thought too much about my future. No matter who I play for I'm 100 per cent focused on it to the end," Bronze told Sky Sports. "It was at the Champions League final I spoke to Cammy and Sonia, people I'm friends with. I'd heard the rumours [about them going to Chelsea] and said, 'Oh, I hear you want to live in London'. I said you'll love it in England and Chelsea's such a great team - and they were like: 'Why don't you come?'

"I said they didn't need me, but they said they'd love to have me come in. 'It would help us; you've just won the Champions League and we want to bring that to the club.' A couple of days later, I was like: 'Let's go. Get me the plane ticket, get me the shirt, I'm sold.' It was fate."

Arsenal, in 2007, are the only English club to have been crowned European champions on the women's side. However, Bronze is hopeful that the experience she, Bompastor and Abily have of winning the Champions League - the latter two having done so as both players and coaches with Lyon - can end that wait for another English champion.

"Bringing the Champions League back to this country would be a huge success and would make women's football even better," she said. "The team's good enough and adding Sonia and Cammy's experience as both coaches and players that have won it is a huge thing. They aren't afraid to talk about it and make the demands it takes to get to a final so hopefully this is the year we break that brick wall down."

When Bronze had to leave an England camp early to have her medical with Chelsea, she initially teased Lionesses boss Wiegman by not telling her which club she was signing for. "I told her, 'You'll find out like everyone else'," she said. But the defender believes her national team coach is "happy" that she is back in her home country because "the more England players are playing together, the better".

The England star will make her competitive debut for her new club on September 20, when the Blues begin their Women's Super League title defence at home to Aston Villa.