What Naomi Girma really thinks about life at Chelsea | OneFootball

Chelsea defender Naomi Girma has opened up on life behind the scenes at Cobham, lifting the lid on her daily routine, matchday habits and the teammates she has quickly gravitated towards since joining the Blues.

The feature, published by Chelsea’s official website, offers a lighter look at a player whose arrival from San Diego Wave in a world-record deal was one of the biggest moments in the women’s game this year. It also comes as Girma continues to settle into Sonia Bompastor’s side after an eventful first few months in west London.

Naomi Girma: settling into Cobham life

Asked about the small details of everyday life at Chelsea, Girma gave a neat snapshot of where she feels most at home around the training ground. Her answers suggest a player who has found her people quickly.

“Normally Niamh [Charles], Alyssa [Thompson] and Ellie [Carpenter],” she said to Chelsea’s official website when asked who she eats lunch with at Cobham.

She also revealed that switching off after training is not especially glamorous. “Lay on the couch. Normally I’m on the couch, responding to anything on my phone, because people are normally waking up in California.”

That transatlantic balance has been part of Girma’s Chelsea story from the start, especially after her high-profile move from the NWSL. Chelsea fans have already had glimpses of her mindset in her earlier comments before the League Cup final, but this latest interview shows a more relaxed side.

Naomi Girma: tunnel rituals and team-mates

Girma also touched on the little matchday routines that often say plenty about a player’s place within a squad. For away games she sticks with a familiar group, while on matchdays she sits with Nat Bjorn and Sandy Baltimore.

“Normally I high-five everyone, give a cheer and say ‘let’s go’,” Girma said of the last thing she does before walking out of the tunnel.

There was also a bit of fun when she was asked who might cope best in different positions. Girma said Ellie Carpenter, Sjoeke Nusken or Millie Bright could do a job in goal, while adding of the best striker option from deeper areas: “This is kind of a cop-out, but Sandy, because she plays further forward anyway.”

Naomi Girma: sunny surprise and USA connection

One of Girma’s more surprising early impressions of Chelsea life was the weather. “It was sunnier than I expected, for the first half of the season,” she said.

The club’s latest feature interview also ties in with a Team USA-themed episode of We Are Chelsea, with Girma joined by new signing Alyssa Thompson. That American connection has clearly helped, and it comes at a time when Girma is also earning praise for her impact on the pitch, as seen after her big moment against Manchester United in the FA Cup.

For Chelsea, it is another small sign that one of the game’s elite defenders is not just adapting to the WSL, but beginning to look properly embedded in the squad. That matters with the business end of the season still to come, and with defenders such as Girma helping push the position into greater focus across the sport, as noted by Esquire’s recent look at her wider impact.