Bompastor praises Carpenter’s energy and local insight

Photo: Katie Chan / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor has highlighted Ellie Carpenter's value to the squad both on and off the pitch, following the club's pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia.

Carpenter, who was born in Cowra, New South Wales, around 190 miles west of Sydney, guided her teammates through her home country during the trip, including an early-morning visit to Bondi Beach.

'It was good to have Ellie show us around,' said Bompastor. 'She wanted the team to experience a lot of different things. She brought the team to the sunrise at Bondi Beach, and it was beautiful. The things they do together are really natural, and she's always making sure people are connecting to each other.'

Bompastor also pointed to Carpenter's personality as a key factor in squad cohesion. 'Off the pitch, she's a really happy person. She's always smiling. She brings these positive vibes into the group.'

The head coach was equally emphatic about the Australian defender's on-field contribution. 'The energy she brings on the pitch is really good. She's an important player for us. She's a player who has a lot of physicality, but also she's really working hard on the tactics and the technicality of her game. I'm really happy to have Ellie at Chelsea.'