Sophie Ingle explains why she decided to return to Bristol City after Chelsea exit | OneFootball

Wales midfielder Sophie Ingle says she joined Bristol City to “get back to being myself and being confident” as she looks to add more caps for her country.

The 34-year-old returned to Bristol City on a two-year deal this summer after leaving Chelsea, where she won 11 trophies in seven seasons.

Ingle earned her 142nd international cap for Wales at Euro 2025 after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury that kept her out of the entire 2024-25 campaign.

She hopes regular playing time with the Robins will help her regain pre-injury sharpness at a time when national team manager Rhian Wilkinson has hinted that some established players may retire from international football.

Why Sophie Ingle decided to rejoin Bristol City

As per the BBC, Sophie Ingle said she returned to Bristol City to ‘get back to myself and being confident’.

She added: “Ten years is a long time away from a football club but it is so nice to be back here at Bristol City.

“A lot has changed in the 10 years and rightly so. It was just an exciting opportunity for me to come back to the football club.”

Ingle left Bristol City in 2015 for Liverpool before moving to Chelsea. She also captained the Bristol side during her first spell at the club.

She explained that feeling valued played a big part in her decision. She highlighted the club’s plan to have the women’s team play at Ashton Gate and said this kind of representation matters. “For someone like myself who has been through different teams and not always had that representation from a football club those small things mean a lot to me,” she said.

Bristol City will play all their home games at the 27,000-seat Ashton Gate this season following the Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-finals.

Ingle’s ambitions for the 2025-26 season

The midfielder, who can also play in defence, is one of more than ten new signings as the club targets a return to the Women’s Super League.

She said her first conversation with head coach Charlotte Healy showed how their standards matched.

Bristol City will be hoping to return to the WSL ahead of its expansion to 14 teams next season.

She said: “Each team can take points off everyone. It is going to be a long season and we have to keep digging in and getting points on the board. Come the business end of the season we want to be in a position where we can get promoted. This football club deserves to be in the top division and I think we can get there.”

Ingle is joining a strong Welsh contingent at the club alongside Ella Powell and new arrival Esther Morgan. Former Wales team-mate Loren Dykes is also on the coaching staff.

What’s next for Ingle and Bristol City?

After playing 75 minutes in a 5-1 defeat at Birmingham City on the opening day, Ingle completed the full match in a 2-0 win over Portsmouth in the second game.

Bristol City travel to Southampton in their next WSL 2 fixture on Sunday.

Despite suggestions from Wilkinson that some Wales internationals may retire in October, Ingle is eager to continue.

Wales play Australia in their first friendly post Euro 2025 on October 25th.

Ingle told the BBC that she ‘can’t wait for the October camp’ and hopes to get more minutes to be ready for the game against Australia.

Ingle also hopes to see the legacy of Euro 2025 reflected in Wales. She mentioned murals at schools and community centres, including one at her old school and said she looks forward to visiting and running sessions there.