Former Chelsea teammates announce engagement on social media after seven-year relationship

Ex-Chelsea teammates Jess Carter, 26 and Ann-Katrin Berger, 33 have announced that they are engaged to each other in a post on Carter’s official X (formerly Twitter) page.

The two have been together for seven years and now plan to take their relationship to the next level. This was referenced in the post - its caption reads: ‘7 years down forever to go’.

Carter still plies her trade at Chelsea - meanwhile, Berger left the club this year to join NJ/NY Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League in the USA.

Carter, a versatile defender, has played for Chelsea since 2018, making 89 WSL appearances and scoring three goals along the way. Additionally, she has also been capped 32 times by England. Berger, meanwhile, joined Chelsea the following year after Carter’s arrival. She has also played for the likes of Birmingham City, PSG and FFC Turbine Potsdam over the course of her career.

Previously, their former Chelsea head coach, Emma Hayes, had expressed discontent on relationships within the squad, saying: “We have to have safeguarding, make sure that’s it’s accessible for each and every club to protect players. Player-coach relationships, they’re inappropriate, player-to-player relationships are inappropriate.”

Hayes was critcicised for her comments - in response, she said: “They know exactly who I am and what my intentions were. But I have to expect that — I’m supposed to be the most well-trained, non-clickbait coach and I let myself down yesterday. I didn’t think it was right for me to use the term ‘inappropriate’ for the players.

“I don’t take those things back, but I have zero criticism for any player in my dressing room for anything — their professionalism regardless of their status, regardless of who they are in a relationship. I’ve been unbelievably supportive of all of the players, I’ve been a champion for equality and equity.”