Voted Chelsea’s Players’ Player of the Season and now Wembley-bound with a treble in sight, it might surprise some to learn that Nathalie Bjorn’s first full campaign in west London didn’t go entirely to plan.
Poached from Everton in January last year, the Swedish international arrived at Chelsea for the final stretch of Emma Hayes’ swansong season. Breaking her way past a crowded field of talented defenders and establishing herself in the heart of Hayes’ back-line, Bjorn capped off the season with a first league title under her belt.
But when Sonia Bompastor took over as head coach for the start of this season, Bjorn found herself in unfamiliar territory: relegated to the bench and forced to watch from the sidelines.
‘It was a new situation with a new coach and then being on the bench is different. I hadn’t really experienced that before, so that was a test for me personally to see how I dealt with that,’ the 28-year-old from Uppsala, a town just north of Stockholm, tells Mail Sport.
‘When I first joined Chelsea with Emma, I think she really gave me the confidence I needed to step into a club like this. I was familiar with the league playing in Everton for two-and-a-half years. But the belief that Emma had in me made me grow even more. I think because of that I came in quite quickly to the team.
‘And then of course, with a new coach, everything is different. You need to show yourself once again, you need to compete in the sessions. I didn’t play a lot in the beginning of the season and that was something for me that I had to fight with myself because you always want to play, but at the same time, it’s very competitive in this squad. I knew that if I got my chance, I needed to be prepared.’
Nathalie Bjorn endured a difficult start to the season but turned things around in style
Bjorn’s chance came a couple of months later in a league match against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge, following the unfortunate, season-ending injury to Kadeisha Buchanan. Chelsea kept a clean sheet, beating City two-nil. The result also meant that they leapfrogged City to the top of the table – where they would remain for the rest of the season, and Bjorn never looked back.
‘Getting that trust from Sonia really gave me the boost I needed to be able to get that starting position. After that game, I think I pretty much played everything that I could play. I think I had showed to Sonia that she could start me, I can play.’
Over the course of the next few months, Bjorn became undroppable as her connection alongside captain Millie Bright flourished, and the duo helped the team to keep the league’s best defensive record of the campaign, conceding just 13 goals in 22 games.
‘Last season Millie was out a little bit, I was out a little bit, there were other defenders (around the team) so this season was the first time we fully played together, and I think we really found that connection quite quick. I think that’s unique because you need to work on the relationship fast. You have the chance in training, but it’s a different thing when it comes to games.
‘We maybe play a little bit differently, but we always know what the other person is going to do and I think that is what balances us well – that we can read each other. Her long-range is absolutely amazing and maybe I have the more short-range passing and I think that’s a good combination.’
Chelsea’s Champions League campaign also carried Bjorn’s imprint. First, there was the dramatic comeback win in the second leg against Manchester City, where she rattled the bar early on and later scored to level the tie. Chelsea came back from 2-0 down on aggregate to win it, with Bjorn dominant on the night – eight recoveries, four tackles and six clearances.
Then came the Barcelona semi-final. Chelsea were only trailing by a single goal heading back to London when Bjorn limped off in the 81st minute of the first leg. Bjorn missed the next game and the Blues were thumped 8-2 on aggregate – Aitana Bonmati and Co slicing through Bompastor’s side at will.
She was voted Chelsea ’s Players’ Player of the Season and now has a treble in sight
It’s too simplistic to claim a direct correlation, but there’s certainly something telling in her teammates’ efforts attempts to bring Bjorn to wider attention. It’s a familiar plight for many of the league’s standout players who, not being Lionesses, often miss out on the recognition they deserve – especially those, like Bjorn, who operate in an often-underappreciated area of the pitch.
‘Nat Bjorn has been exceptional for us all season. I think she sometimes gets overlooked a lot because she’s not English,’ Lucy Bronze said after Chelsea lifted the League Cup.
‘She’s been incredible for us,’ Bright echoed last month. ‘She’s a vital part of the changing room as well. She keeps everyone together and sometimes that goes unnoticed’.
As for Bjorn, she says she’s ‘honoured’ to have been voted Players’ Player of the Season. Naturally humble, Bjorn has a tentative crack at answering Mail Sport’s question: ‘Why do you think your teammates voted for you?’.
‘I feel very honoured because there’s so many good players in this team,’ she replies. ‘I don’t know why they voted for me, but I think that it’s because, like I said, I didn’t play much in the beginning of the season, but I never doubted myself or never stopped trying. I always tried to be the best of myself and give everything I can to the team, even if it’s on the bench or if I’m starting, so maybe it’s because of that.’
Next up is Manchester United in the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley on Sunday and the chance for Chelsea to seal a domestic treble for the second time.
Bjorn (left) capped off a brilliant individual season with a first league title under her belt.
‘I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve just heard so many good things about the FA Cup final and the atmosphere and playing at Wembley.
‘I think it’s going to be really even, and I really think it’s going to be an enjoyable game to watch. There’s a little bit more of pressure, but at the same time, that’s also why you love these games. To go out in front of thousands of fans and stake a claim for a title. This is what you practice for, these are the games that you want to play.’
Win or lose it’s clear that while Bjorn’s season may not have started as planned, it has certainly ended on a positive note.
