In her first season in England, the midfielder has already made her first-team breakthrough at the club that has won the last five WSL titles
When GOAL asked Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor what she had seen in Wieke Kaptein that prompted her to hand the teenage midfielder such a prominent role in the Blues' pre-season campaign this summer, she was straight to the point. "That's really simple," she replied. "She is performing."
It's Kaptein's first year with the Women's Super League champions, who have a squad stacked with enough quality to have lifted that title in five successive seasons. That she has been able to make such an immediate impact, then, is a testament to her talent, her work ethic and, despite being just 19 years old, her experience.
When Chelsea made the short journey to Twente last week, to take on the Dutch club that played such a huge role in Kaptein's development, through three memorable and trophy-laden seasons in the first team, the pride that those in the area have in watching one of their own thrive at one of the biggest clubs in the women's game was evident. When it was the turn of the Dutch press to direct questions to Bompastor and Chelsea defender Kadeisha Buchanan, they were all about Kaptein.
It was then that Bompastor was able to reiterate what she had already said in the build-up to the teenager's first season in blue. "She will be a really important player for us through the season, for sure," the coach said. "No matter her age, she's performing and that's the most important thing."
Getty ImagesWhere it all began
Born in Hengelo, a city in the Twente region in the Netherlands, Kaptein's introduction to football came from playing with her brothers from the age of five. Soon enough, she would start playing for Achilles '12, the local amateur club, in the boys' teams. Indeed, Kaptein played football with the boys for most of her childhood, something which she believes really helped her develop. "You always have to keep up, you always want to be better than the guys," she told GOAL last year.
As a teenager, she would progress into the youth teams at Twente, the club she and her brothers supported growing up. Kaptein's rise from that point was quite sudden. Towards the end of the 2020-21 season, at 15 years old, the midfielder signed a professional contract. A few months later, in the new campaign, her first-team debut followed.
She wasn't done there either, asserting herself as a key player almost immediately. Within two years, she'd played over 50 senior games, experienced Champions League football and won five major trophies.
AdvertisementGettyThe big break
While followers of the game in the Netherlands were well aware of her talent already, it was in the summer of 2023 that Kaptein really announced herself to a more global audience. That first started to come with the senior national team, for whom the midfielder debuted in April last year.
Despite being a regular in the youth national teams throughout her teenage years, Kaptein never actually played at one of the marquee tournaments in her age groups, most notably missing the 2022 UEFA Under-17 Women's Championship because it clashed with the end of Twente's domestic season, and she was so important to their title bid that she stuck around. But she was soon to make up for that by playing at the biggest tournament of them all.
That’s because Kaptein's breakthrough with the Oranje came at the perfect time, when the World Cup was right around the corner. It was going to be a long shot to make it, but she impressed head coach Andries Jonker enough in the build-up to earn her place. Aged 17, Kaptein made her senior World Cup debut in the 7-0 win over Vietnam.
And yet, there was still something huge around the corner that would make her summer even bigger than it already was. At the beginning of September, shortly after her 18th birthday, Chelsea announced that Kaptein had signed a four-year contract with the club. "It’s a really big club and I’m very honoured to be here," she said.
Getty ImagesHow it's going
After being loaned back to Twente for one more season, a campaign that brought with it three more trophies, Kaptein is now making her mark in west London. She impressed throughout pre-season and has won over new head coach Bompastor very quickly with her performance levels, starting three of Chelsea's first six games of the campaign.
Kaptein's role with the national team is only growing, too. That she played in just one of the Netherlands' six games at the World Cup was an indication of her extremely recent breakthrough, but those minutes have only increased with time. It's now much more common to see her starting for the Oranje, as she has three times in their last six games.
Getty ImagesBiggest strengths
There is a lot to like about Kaptein's game. At times a defender in her past before settling almost exclusively into a midfield position, it's perhaps no surprise that her battling qualities stand out. The teenager reads play brilliantly, something clearly enhanced by the number of senior games she has already played, and is fantastic at winning possession back as a result.
She has no problem competing physically in the WSL either, despite being so young and it being a division which is a little more robust than others. Likely aided by her development in boys' football, Kaptein is strong, she doesn't shy away from a tackle and she is full of energy. It's exactly what you need in a midfield player.
In possession, there are also plenty of positives. Last week, Chelsea team-mate Buchanan described the teenager as being "cool and quite laidback", something she believes is evident in how "composed" she is on the pitch. Kaptein is accurate, she makes smart decisions and she has the vision, and the confidence, to be more expansive with her passing, too.
But what will be most encouraging of all to Bompastor at Chelsea, and Jonker with the Netherlands, is how coachable Kaptein is as a player. "She's someone who always wants to get some advice from the staff," Bompastor said last week. With that attitude, she will go far.
