Chelsea’s Keira Walsh is “thrilled” about the upcoming match against her former club Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League.

The first question is often the most obvious one to ask.

As Chelsea gear up to face FC Barcelona, the reigning European champions, in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, the match carries a unique significance for midfielder Keira Walsh.

Walsh, who grew up idolising Barcelona’s style of play, has a personal connection to the Catalan giants, having joined them in September 2022 from Manchester City. During her time in Spain, she clinched back-to-back Liga F and Champions League titles before making her return to England with Chelsea this past January. Now, she finds herself back in Spain, donning Chelsea’s blue as she prepares to take on her former club, with the match set to be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+ in the UK.

“I’m excited to obviously see my ex-teammates,” Walsh shared with TNT Sports ahead of the encounter. “I played with them for two-and-a-half years, so I’ve got some good friends on that team. But it’s going to be a good game, and these are the matches you want to be part of as a professional footballer.”

While Walsh acknowledges that the prospect of facing Barcelona was a possibility when she made her January switch, it wasn’t something she dwelled on. She has kept in touch with former teammates like Jana Fernandez, but their conversations have been more about catching up over coffee rather than tactical discussions.

Walsh isn’t the only former Barcelona player in the Chelsea squad. Full-back Lucy Bronze also made the move from Barcelona to Chelsea, having joined the Catalan side in the same summer as Walsh.

The Chelsea manager, Sonia Bompastor, along with her assistant Camille Abily, has sought insights from both Walsh and Bronze, but Walsh insists that the focus should remain on Chelsea’s own game.

“I think we just have to take confidence from how we play,” she explained. “You can over-analyse and over-focus on the opposition too much and forget about your own identity. With Barcelona, they play free-flowing football, so it’s difficult to dissect. We need to concentrate on what we’re good at and aim for the Champions League final.”

Walsh added, “We’ve discussed how we want to play, but that’s the beauty of this Chelsea team—we can win in various styles. Barcelona tends to stick to one style, but Chelsea has shown the ability to adapt and remain competitive, which is what makes this team exciting.”

In her career, Walsh finds herself in a transitional phase, not quite a veteran but experienced enough to be a guiding presence for younger players. She acknowledges the challenge of this balance but strives to lead in her own way.

“My first Champions League experience was being down 2-0 at half-time against Wolfsburg in the 2023 final and coming back to win 3-2,” she recalled. “That’s an experience I can draw on when the pressure is on. The younger players haven’t specifically asked me for advice, but in tough moments, those experiences can be invaluable.”

Walsh looks to vocal leaders like Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze for guidance, while she prefers to influence the game through her performance. “I may not be as loud as them, but I try to keep calm and bring that composure to the team,” she said.

When it comes to the younger players, Walsh describes the group as “unbelievable,” singling out Aggie Beever-Jones, who has recently found her form after a slow start to the season. Beever-Jones scored her first England goal in the same match where Walsh also netted her first, a 5-0 victory over Belgium.

“Aggie’s really raw and unpredictable,” Walsh noted. “In both men’s and women’s football, many teams are structured, but players willing to take risks are rare. Aggie plays off the cuff and surprises defenders. Now that she has confidence, she’s aggressive, dribbles well, and always looks to push the team forward.”