When people talk about Chelsea’s success over the last decade, Drew Spence is a name that deserves more recognition. She was there before the trophies, before the big signings and before Chelsea became one of the biggest clubs in women’s football.
Spence joined Chelsea in 2008 and spent 14 years at the club. By the time she left in 2022, she had made 238 appearances in all competitions, scored 50 goals and won 11 major trophies. Five league titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups and a Community Shield. That is some career.
But what makes her story interesting is that she didn’t stop there. Four years after leaving Chelsea, she has carved out a new chapter at Tottenham, taking on the captaincy and making history as the WSL’s all-time appearance record holder. At 34, she is still proving why she belongs at the highest level.
Growing With Chelsea
When Spence joined Chelsea, the Barclays Women’s Super League did not even exist. Women’s football in England was still developing and Chelsea were nowhere near the dominant side they would eventually become.
She made her senior debut in 2009 and was part of the squad when Emma Hayes arrived in 2012. That appointment changed Chelsea’s direction and Spence was one of the players who experienced the transformation first hand. In 2015, Chelsea won their first WSL title and FA Cup, completing a historic domestic double. Spence was part of both successes and continued to contribute as the club grew stronger.
But staying at Chelsea for 14 years was not easy. As the club became more successful, the competition for places became harder. International players arrived, expectations increased and the standards changed. Spence had to adapt alongside them. She was not always the first name on the team sheet, particularly towards the end of her Chelsea career, but she continued to play her part. In the 2019/20 WSL season she scored three goals and made three assists in 15 appearances. She could contribute going forward while also providing that experience in midfield.
By 2022, she had won almost everything available domestically. She had seen Chelsea go from a developing club to one of Europe’s biggest teams and she had helped make that happen.
A New Chapter At Tottenham
In the summer of 2022, Spence made the decision to leave Chelsea and join Tottenham. After 14 years at one club, it was a big change, but it gave her the chance to play a more important role elsewhere.
She made an immediate impact. On her Tottenham debut against Leicester in September 2022, she scored in a 2-1 win. It was not a completely straightforward afternoon, with Spence also scoring an own goal, but Tottenham got the three points and she had already made her mark.
In her first season, she made 22 league appearances, scored three goals and provided two assists. She was getting regular minutes again and showing that she still had plenty to offer.
The 2023/24 season brought another important moment. Tottenham reached the Women’s FA Cup final for the first time in their history, with Spence starting against Manchester United at Wembley. Spurs lost 4-0, but reaching that final was a big step for the club. For Spence, it meant being part of another team’s development after spending so long helping Chelsea build their success.
Then came another change. In August 2026, Spence was named Tottenham captain. It was recognition of what she had brought to the club since arriving, but also the responsibility she had taken on within the squad.
Influence Without The Spotlight
Spence is not the type of midfielder who needs to be scoring every week to make an impact. She is comfortable on the ball, can play through pressure and knows when to move possession forward.
She is also not afraid of the physical side of the game. She competes for the ball, gets involved in challenges and helps Tottenham regain control when matches become difficult. One moment that showed her quality came against Aston Villa in December 2025. Her no-look reverse pass set up Olivia Holdt’s winning goal. It was clever, well timed and showed that she can still create something different in attacking areas.
During the 2025/26 WSL season, she made 19 appearances, started 18 games and played 1,539 minutes. She also provided two assists. Those numbers show how important she had become to Tottenham’s midfield. But her influence goes beyond the statistics. She has played under different managers, experienced title races and cup finals, and watched the league change around her. That matters in a Tottenham side still trying to establish itself among the WSL’s leading teams. Younger players can learn from someone who has already experienced what it takes to win.
Making WSL History
On 1 November 2026, Spence made her 217th WSL appearance in Tottenham’s 4-1 win against Birmingham City, overtaking former Chelsea teammate Millie Bright to become the competition’s all time appearance record holder. It was a huge achievement, especially considering how much the league has changed since Spence first started playing in it. She had already reached 200 WSL appearances in December 2025, becoming the first player representing a country other than England to reach that milestone. Then, just a week after breaking the all-time record, she made her 100th appearance for Tottenham in their 2-1 win against Brighton. Three significant milestones in less than a year.
What makes the record even more impressive is that Spence is still playing regularly. She is not simply staying in the squad because of what she achieved in the past. She is contributing now.
Tottenham manager Martin Ho has praised her ability to adapt physically, technically and tactically. And that is probably the biggest reason she has been able to stay at this level for so long. The WSL has become faster, more competitive and more demanding. Spence has changed with it.
International Recognition
Spence’s career has not just been about domestic football. After representing England earlier in her career, she switched her international allegiance to Jamaica in 2021. That decision led to one of the biggest moments in Jamaican women’s football history.
At the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Jamaica were drawn alongside France, Brazil and Panama. Getting out of that group was always going to be difficult, especially against two established international sides. But Jamaica surprised everyone. They held France to a goalless draw, beat Panama 1-0 and then drew 0-0 with Brazil to reach the knockout stages for the first time. Spence was part of a team that achieved something Jamaica had never done before. Their tournament ended with a 1-0 defeat against Colombia in the round of 16, but that did not take away from what they had accomplished.
For a player who had already experienced so much success at club level, representing Jamaica on the biggest stage added another important chapter to her career.
The Bigger Picture
Spence has been part of women’s football in England through almost every stage of its recent growth. She has won 11 major trophies with Chelsea, reached an FA Cup final with Tottenham, represented Jamaica at a World Cup and now holds the record for the most WSL appearances. And she is still going. At 34, she is Tottenham captain and remains an important part of their midfield. That says a lot about her consistency, but also about how much she has adapted throughout her career.
Sources
Women’s Super League – Drew Spence official player statistics
https://www.wslfootball.com
Opta Analyst – Drew Spence career statistics
https://theanalyst.com
BBC Sport – Spence very proud to break WSL appearance record
https://www.bbc.co.uk
