After helping to propel her team to their fifth consecutive WSL title, Chelsea and Lionesses defender Jess Carter took to social media over the weekend to share some equally huge personal news.
“7 years down forever to go,” she posted with a photo of the two in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York City, announcing her engagement following seven years of dating to ex-teammate Ann-Katrin Berger.
“My best trophy so far,” Berger gushed in the caption of her own post.
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The news comes a month after Berger announced her departure from Chelsea after six seasons, where she took home the Golden Glove in 2021 for her record clean sheets. Now, she’s taking her goalkeeping talents to the NWSL’s Gotham FC, joining former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes in the States. She now heads the USWNT.
Berger, who also plays for the German women’s national team, first met Jess Carter when she joined Birmingham City FC in May 2016. In an interview with Lizzie Cernik for the Guardian, she shared that the pair started out as friends and later housemates, when things became romantic between them.
“I was quite nervous because I didn’t know what her reaction would be,” she said on initiating their first kiss.
“I always knew she was quite an open person, and she’d never ruled out being with a woman. At the same time, I heard her talk about guys, so I wasn’t sure.”
The rest, as they say, is history, and seven years and five WSL titles later the pair are arguably one of the biggest power couples in women’s soccer. But not only were they teammates, they also played as competitors on their respective national teams during the finals of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 at Wembley. Carter’s Lionesses won the matchup against Germany 2-1 to take home the title in a historic day for English football.
In spite of this, their rivalry is contained to the pitch as Jess Carter has been outspoken that the support of her partner Ann-Katrin together at home has been vital in helping her train and become the footballer she is today.
