We Are Chelsea - Hot Takes with Keira Walsh and Erin Cuthbert

Episode Date: April 30, 2025

This is We are Chelsea, the official podcast of Chelsea Women, brought to you in association with Škoda, the official car partner of Chelsea Women and proud supporters of women’s sport. www.skoda.co.uk Caz De Moraes is joined by regular Erin Cuthbert and We Are Chelsea first-timer Keira Walsh to discuss their latest hot takes including chinos, socks and sliders and mint ice cream. Plus Erin’s got a new look, but who did she get mistaken for? To watch the full episode on YouTube, click here: https://www.youtube.com/@chelseafc/videos Send us your questions to [e-mail] #WeAreChelsea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to We Are Chelsea, the official podcast of Chelsea Women, brought to you in association with Skoda, who are the official car partner for Chelsea women, and they are proud supporters of women's sport. I'm Kaz de Mores, and today I'm very happy to be joined by Erin Cuthbert and Kira Walsh. Kira joined the Blues from Barcelona in January, and this is her first appearance on the podcast. So let's get into it, shall we? This is We Are Chelsea with Erin Cuthbert and Kira Walsh. How many times have you been on this? A lot. Right, they keep getting us.

You're quite funny maybe, I don't know. Yeah, you're funny, but she's all so deep. I was just saying this. I'm quite deep, yeah. See, I'm not, I'm very surface level kind of person. She's like, just so you know, never invite me again. I'm boring and I'm surface level. Well, Erin, welcome back to the pod.

How have you been? Yeah, been good sense. Thanks on having me on again. And Kira, welcome to We Are Chelsea. I want to say welcome to Chelsea, but you've been here since Jan. Yeah. So I can't say welcome to Chelsea. But how have the last few months been?

How are you? Yeah, I'm good. Yeah. Last few months have been all right, I guess. She's looking at Erin. Like, been hanging out with this one. Yeah. That's why it's only all right.

Yeah. Probably. I didn't want to say that, though. I'm joking. I'm joking. Well, this season we've got friendships on. So I'm assuming that some little birdie thinks you guys might be friends is that true who was that yeah who said that ain't interested oh that's nice

partnership what were you what was your first impressions of each other um um nah she's funny too far she's very very funny she is yeah she is i'll take that um obviously i knew kira if they're playing against her at Man City and then at Barcelona but you never really know somebody met her a few times before that but um good crack

bit of me bit of you sorry a bit of me you know you made that really awful you made that really awkward we know what you meant although I'm just looking at you

Erin you look different I've had my hair done but I've no brush that soon to train but I just say it looks magnificent it does look magnificent what a compliment that is I've been buzzing I just shows you how I just shows you how low the standards were but here we are so I've no brushed it's in secession which I kind of regret you can't tell in fairness no I think it looks great

it does don't it thank you no are we colour shout it to Holly Morgan hair shod like a sex on free wait is that her name yeah no it is yeah it is top UK colour specialist she is she you can tell Erin's eyeing up a little sponsorship collab, isn't she? She's trying to get a free hair cut next time round, I think. She's like, come on Morgan, get me in, get me in the chair next time, keep my hair going. That's that.

She's done this already with Iron Brew. Oh, true. I've been trying to plug. Every time I'm on this podcast, I'm like, right, who's my next sponsor? Who's getting it next? She's like, business head. She's like, I'm moving house. IKEA is brilliant.

While we're on the subject of her. what did you get called I've been meaning it's it I've been waiting for a special moment to tell everybody this because it's such a revelation that I can't even comprehend the words and I'm quite embarrassed that I have to admit this sorry Sonia if you're listening

but it is quite an embarrassment for me so we're in Barcelona day of the game afternoon I'm just about to rest my head get some sleep before the game and, you know, I'm walking in the hotel walking through the hotel and

someone says, hey, hey, Sonia Sonia, Sonia, Signature. I said... Did you turn around though? Of course I did. It was walking past me and I went, no, sorry Sonia, so you erin. I seen the back of your head and thought that's Sonia. I mean, I did that when you then decided to get your head on.

Absolutely. That's when I knew something was in the ticking right, so. That was it That was the final straw. Carly Telford was with me and she can vouch for me. She was on the floor laughing. I thought it was one of the funniest things ever. And I can't remember Sonia's age off by heart

but there's around a 20 year age gap between the both of us. That's so funny. I don't... And what did you say to them? Did I mean of Spanish? What did you say? No, sorry Sonia, sorry Erin.

Because it was saying it in Spanish but I told the gaffer she was she was howling laughing. I felt so distra. respected. Yeah, she'd have taken that. She'd have been like, yeah. She was buzzing.

She was like, oh, twin sister. I think. So all the girls now call me Sonny for Sonia. Instead of saying Sonia's name. That's your nickname, is it? That's my new nickname. Sonny. So, yeah, that's a bit of an embarrassing moment, but, you know, I'll take it for the

great of the good, for the girls, because they had such a good crack at that. I bet they did. So, Kira, apart from Erin and her lovely story, and her bans and her fantastic humour. Was there a reason, I need to go back to Jan's. I haven't met you properly, have I? Was there a reason that made you want to come to Chelsea? I think obviously just from playing against him over the years,

like they always win, I guess. Like, you've always won the league and you've always been in the finals of most of the competitions. And, yeah, I mean, I'm ambitious and I wanted to win as well. So that's probably the biggest reason why I came here. And does it feel nice being back in England? Yeah, definitely, definitely. Supermarkets?

I knew you was going to say that. I knew he was going to say that. He doesn't be dirty there. Basically, I did an interview. And they were saying to me, like, why did I want to come back to England? And I said that I missed the supermarkets. But obviously, that's not the only reason why I came back, but it's one of the reasons.

Were you after I call on a caterpillar? Well, see, I was trying to plug M&S, but they just didn't come through. All right. She's the plug now. Hey, business end. Exactly. There we go. Guys, listen, use the platform.

stop plugging it is it your birthday coming up or errands i've just had mine is yours coming up too coming up two months there we go a cuff but the caterpillar feldie though for deadly four four four every time you come on just being yourself just makes me laugh all the time i'm in a bit of a giggly mood today so it's okay it's not a good time it's not a good time that's the best time that's the best time um was there anyone in the squad i guess maybe a question for both of you Was there anyone in the squad that you first met that you didn't think you'd bond with but that you really did bond with?

Harry, not joking. Probably Erin no joking. But not maybe that you didn't think you'd bond with but you just didn't know very well and then you're like, oh actually you're a bit of me. I'd probably say Naomi for me. Okay. Not that I didn't think she was a bit of me,

I just didn't know her. Yeah, okay. But yeah, no, I actually really get home with us. She was funny. And obviously I think both being new that helped as well a little bit, I guess. Is there anyone for you ever in? Can't I think off the top of my head.

Maybe got a good wee connection with Nat. Nat's funny actually. The one's, Nat's got a bit about it, actually. I'll give her that. I agree. So she's good banter. She's funny, but she's also determined,

driven, focus to be the absolute best. Kira, apart from the fact that you're at Chelsea and you're back in England, is there anything off the pitch that you've really enjoyed being back to? I want to say the weather, but it's only been sunny now. Yeah, it's actually been really nice, on it?

Maybe just speak in English again, I don't know. How is your Spanish? Not as good as Herons. Oh, well, that... Look at her little smile. I know, she were buzzing with that as well, weren't she? That is such a compliment. She's actually very good.

She is. She is. No, Soya, Søyeron. Soyerin. That is actually sent into the year to be film. Soyerin. Soyerin. being the newbie there are some do's and don'ts right like the bus

I remember on one of the podcasts you were telling me where you sit on the bus is really important how did you decide where you're going to sit on the bus did you speak to erin did you speak to someone else and say where do I sit how do you go about choosing your bus seat yeah like the whole even seating arrangement in general is quite stressful like yeah in meetings dinner like everyone has their own specific seat whereas I'm just not very superstitious like that like I couldn't really care less where I sit

was everyone's very specific so I just kind of followed LJ and LJ was just like sit there and I'll tell someone else to move if they go Is that what she said? I think because she knew that I felt a bit awkward so she was just trying to make me feel better

which was nice of her because who did she move? Nobody in the end luckily I just sit opposite her on the bus because Mia was out injured now Mia's back I sit with Mia but it was just me and LJ at the time so that was okay

and we always get the lowdown from play on initiations have you had yours yet um no and i was hoping that nobody would ring that up thank you very much for that yeah you just you absolutely threw me under the boss well get it ready for pre-season what performance at a lifetime what is it like singing and dancing ah you've got to choose you've got to choose your best performance you could do both didn't katie cox do a really good like rap aye harum vica can we just stop with the suggestions of singing and dancing some of them do it together in like groups. Costumes in that included.

I'm like really shy with things like that though. Are you? Yeah. But this is your one moment. Get it out of the bag and be forever known as a legend. Oh my God, you could sing. Yeah, but I don't see it like that.

My moment. Leone Lewis would be my initiation song. I've seen her play live and I feel like. I'm jealous. That is a bang of that. No, that song is big. I'd ever at my wedding ever go. Wow.

You ever eat your wedding? Hey, I'll get assorted. Singing. I would. Listen, you get around a few. On a few podcasts, it will get sorted. Hi. We'll make that happen.

Lovely. Come on then. You're not even engaged though, are you? No. You've got time. You've got a bit of time, Merrin. Yeah, it's all right. I'll get to work.

Is there something that you've learned about each other that you didn't know before that you would like to share on the pod with us? I think just how direct, Keiros, I didn't know all that. Do you think I'm direct, yeah? Very direct. Right. But I like it. Just straight to a point.

knows what she wants, says what she wants and, yeah, demands out of all of us. On and off the pitch. Aye, would say so. Like it. Yeah. That's a compliment. Boss qualities. Yeah.

What about Erin? Like, I knew she were funny, but like, she is really, really funny. Look at her little face! Nah, the other day with the refs, that was jokes. Oh, my God. That was a belter. What happened? She just does mad things, like, and it's just really funny.

Tell me. Oh, my walking in. Played Crystal Palace. midweek we're walking in after the warm-up and the refs are doing this bouncing on the spot the middle one's shouting right left and they've got to react quickly. And they were like spinning round like they're all doing the big spins and that.

And I'm walking by and they're bouncing on the spot and I'm like right in the autumn right. They all moved and she as I was crying just because the ref in the middle thought she was like and then everyone went right and they all they were all turning it was actually really funny really funny. Right we're going to play a little game is called Hot Takes. Do you not how Hot Take is? No. Well, you'll know. I'm going to give you a

phrase. Do you know what Hot Take is? No. You'll know. You'll know. I'm going to give you a phrase. I don't want you to react to it. Cats are better than dogs. Absolutely not. No. Miles off it. Yeah, agree. Why? Um, because I've got a dog. Okay. Mint is the best ice cream flavour. Agree. Strachia, Taylor. that's fair that's fair deadly but I do like I do like a bit of mint I like a bit of mint yeah but it is controversial is it yeah okay sucks and sliders should never be seen together no I don't think that's bad I do it every day at training ground

I agree me too every day I think most people would if you had your feet out at the lunch table I'd be having a few words yeah I actually agree if you got your trotters out at the table it's not for me that don't bring your trotter's to training honestly don't bother trotterless training yeah especially when you you're eating your food and that i don't want to see people so that could be something some of them are honking and all but it's stinking and looks and in smell so footballers feet you know what i mean chinos are not a fashion crime um they are no i think they

are yeah they are i agree would you date someone wearing chinos no no turned up on a first date no i'd be gutted i would be gutted i'd be absolutely gutted i've like your personality and got on so well but that's some look. No, I would be gutted, I'm not even going to lie. It's a major ick. Yeah. Brown ones as well. Brown chinoes.

I used to wear them like when I was 12 when you felt class, man. Felt a million dollars in them walking at the house. No, I did. I used to look really smart in them. I used to go to bowling on them. I used to go red vans on the bottom as well. You had what on the bottom? I used to wear red vans as well with my chinoes.

I can't believe I've just admitted that actually. Did you say you used to go bowling in them? I used to go bowling in the chino. Yeah, activity. You can do activities in Chino's. Hi. How do we bet a space in them? Cinema and that, yeah.

I'm just imagining Erin going with a bowling shoes and Chino. A bit of bowling shoes. Football should scrap the AR. Oh. I think they should scrap how long it takes them to make a decision. Give them a little wee timer. Yeah, I think they should have a timer. Yeah.

Because it slows the game down so much, doesn't it? Yeah. I'm a bit far and against because you still get so many people like diving in the box and stuff and they get away with it because it's hard for the riffs to see these decisions so foreign against

but the time again that it takes can be just... I'm terrible because if it goes in my way I'm like thank God for VIR and then when it goes in my way I'm like yeah it's so hard for the fans as well because they're celebrating a goal or something

and they're going mad and then there's like a two minute stoppage after it ruins the atmosphere a little bit doesn't it at the game and it ruins the raw emotional moment of scoring a goal because you just don't know if they're going to pull it back.

Yeah, that's true actually. It doesn't happen to me very often, but yeah, that's true. Hey, it happened recently for school. Yes. Oh, yeah. Yeah, true, that. I am going to come to that.

Right. I'll just talk about it now, though. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Get it out of the way, yeah, yeah. Well, it must be the worst stats in history 1 in 83. It's not, stop playing yourself down. Listen, you scored.

It was brilliant. We loved it. Thank you. How did you feel? Yeah, I was buzzing, to be fair. But I think also Aggie told me I was going to score, which she does every game, which is really nice and positive of her, and tries to give me confidence.

And she was actually right. I've never seen someone talk down their own goal as much as you. She does it in training, I know. She's like, I can't even shoot. She goes to a boy at her feet and scored the top bins a day. And Sonia was like, why did you know, shoot more? Yeah, I think she was a bit annoyed with me at that, actually. Well, that's it.

If you show her what you can do, she's going to expect it. Yeah. We're getting off on tangents now. Right, back to the game. The next one is. All water tastes the same. Disagree. The glass bottle in...

I had a glass bottle in Barcelona. Deadly. Do you know how much it cost, though? How much was it? 8 euros. How big is this bottle of water? It's a glass bottle, which maybe that's right. It's my sense, I don't know.

Yeah, sorry, Chelsea. But Erin said it was incredible. It was. Honestly, so pure, fresh. I don't know what the purity in the magnesium and all that in it, but it was different. Let me tell you.

God, I'm going to go to Barcelona now just to drink their water. Don't drink tap water though You're not talking about the tap water No, no, you can't drink tap water Yeah Oh don't drink the tap water From here?

Yeah I wouldn't drink tap water down here Nah Different Scotland Can you not drink it down here? Oh you can but it's just hard water I would drink it in Manchester But I think it's different in it Manchester

It's lots off Better up north My mum wouldn't drink a cup of tea My mum wouldn't even touch a tea down here You should see my kettle It's scaling after about two months You know what you're right Yeah it is hard water

Yeah England is better than Scotland why would you do that absolutely not she's going to say it is but absolutely no I'm trying to think if I've been to Scotland yeah I have when where did we play a game

Glasgow we don't talk about that game right I wasn't going to talk about the yeah I'm just going to talk about the city oh you like Glasgow yeah it's my favourite city yeah I like Glasgow more nicer people friendly or in general it's my opinion anyway in my experience

where are you from I'm on the close The coast of Glasgow, but on the coast, Levitt and a seaside town called Irvine plug. I do like Manchester though. I want to say England's better. So we're undecided on that one. No, we're Scotland.

Have you got any of your own hot takes or what is your most controversial hot take? Is there something you like that you know is controversial? I brush my teeth in the shower. I don't know if that's a bit of a hot take or a bit wild. What? Yeah. Brush my teeth in the shower.

Why is that? Because you just think... Save time, isn't it? But then when you open your... mouth the water's warm you're like i've got sensitive teeth though that wouldn't brush them with super cold water anyway oh because you've got sensitive teeth yeah that's so weird no because that like a roasting hot shower it needs to be burning my skin yeah but i don't mind i'd take the tongue off me if i brush my teeth be coming in with ulcers of my tongue like oh what did you do i just brush my teeth

i'll put it in mouth this podcast is brought to you by scowda the official car partner of Chelsea women and proud supporters of women's sport. It's football season. Time for afterwork training, muddy boots and early morning weekend games. Whether you're playing five-a-side after work, cheering the kids on from the sidelines on a Saturday morning, or gathering with your mates to watch the big leagues each weekend. Skoda's The Perfect Companion for your everyday adventures. Zip around town in the fully electric eniac or give the squad a lift home in the all-new seven-seater Kodiak.

There's something in the range to suit teams of all shapes and sizes. Don't just take my word for it, though. Search the SCADA range today to jump in and see for yourself. Erin, I need to congratulate you for a contract. Oh, well done. Congratulations. Yeah, thank you. I think I might have already told you that, though.

Thank you. Pleasure. No, thanks. It's been away then since I've not been on the pod. Hey, she's been doing all right, to be fair. Got a new whip as well, aren't you? Have you? Got new whip, new haircut, new contract.

She's like, look, I re-signed my contract, new erring. New hair. Yeah, mini-sonny. New nails, I know, by the way. Nah, it's sonny. Don't say mini-sonia. I'm also taller, I think, so you're at it. I think you are, yeah.

You have got new nails. Look, new hair, new nails. New clothes as well. You've got your toes, same colour? Yeah, of course. That's so girly. No point getting a money, in it. Without a peddy.

Fair enough. You know what I mean? I couldn't say the last time. Shouldn't you'd be like, ooh. You'd be alright with them on, to be fair. What? Well, we're getting shows out, we're nails done. I know.

Kira, we've gone on a tangent again, but let's go back to football. How have you found the transition to the English League? What are the biggest differences? I think how physical the league is, I think it's a lot more physical than the Spanish League. Obviously, training's a little bit different, and the way Barcelona play is a little bit different. So it does take time and obviously I have to build relationships and with players.

I've never played with before. and yeah straight into the games as well whereas like I didn't have a pre-season to kind of work on those relationships but it's been all right so far I guess and we're in the business end of the season so loads of important games coming up how do you deal with the pressure

the mental aspect for me I really enjoy it like that's what you do the pre-season for that's what you get absolutely blasted in the running for and you're on the floor and you're thinking and why do I do this? I'm absolutely exhausted

and you kind of get up and you wake up at the next morning and your legs are dead so it's four to prepare you for moments like this in these last couple of months so I really enjoy it I know that since I've been at the club

the club's had a big period of success which is tremendous but I think it's always tough to remember that it keeps getting harder and over the years there's been a lot of fans who are just used to us winning but it's no always the reality

and they don't realize what goes on behind the scenes. Chelsea fans have kind of been spoiled in a way. Like, you know, I'm a Rangers fan myself. We've went through ups and downs in the years and that's just normal, but I feel that we've just been on an upwards trajectory for so many years. And it's credit

to the staff and, you know, Paul Green who's been here for so many years. Emma that left the foundation and Sonia that's now taking the reins and continuing the good work that we're doing, but we know that it's getting harder. It's getting harder. I'd agree with that. Then it's ever been. I don't know. Maybe Keir can talk

more about what it's like now that she's came back after a sort of period of absence in Barcelona but I think it's just it's getting tougher and tougher the seasons are getting harder the schedules are getting more intense and the margins are becoming even narrower so the fact that we're able to be at where we are

is probably a testament to everybody at the club at the moment we had Paul Green on the podcast actually and he was talking about yeah he's been 12 years he's been here yeah how do you keep that fire going when you've won so much. And I guess, and also your perspective, Kira, coming back. Yeah, I think that's probably the most impressive thing about Chelsea. And I think, like Erin said, like, people think it's really easy and it isn't.

And I remember when I was at City and I think for a few years, it was always us and Chelsea playing each other in the finals. And it was kind of us too running away a little bit, I'd say, from the rest of the teams. And I've come back and it's like a totally different story now. Like, every game you play is really, really difficult. I feel like a few years ago you could be winning. 6-0 maybe most of the teams and then you're playing

Arsenal, Chelsea and it's really really difficult but yeah it's definitely more competitive now than what it was like before I would say but I also feel like speaking to all of you

you do sort of enjoy the pressure and you sort of enjoy the kind of when stakes are high I mean I wouldn't say I enjoy it so much I would say I thrive more under it but enjoyments are probably a tough lord

I probably enjoy being on a sun lounger in Ibiza more, to be quite honest. I think it's a pressure and it's more of the job, isn't it, I guess. Exactly. It's part of being at Chelsea, I think. Exactly. If we're not feeling the pressure at this stage in the season, it means we're failed. It means we're no competing for enough trophies as we should be. In this club, expects to be in every trophy available.

So I think it's more relief when we have success for all the tough moments that we've had throughout the year. And how does it feel for you? particularly playing against Bassa? Yeah, it was tough. And obviously I know how they play, but it's so hard to play against them. Even knowing what they do, it's so difficult to play against.

How do you deal when there's a tough game and it doesn't go your way? Once you get over it, I think the first day you're always thinking, what more could I have done? Where did I fault? How could I have helped the team more? You've got to always look in first

before you sort of put the blame in others and I think the first sort of blame lies with yourself and what more we could have all done individually. Again, like when fans don't expect it but like the next loss is literally just right around the corner like you're playing the best teams in the world like it's going to happen. You're not going to play every single season,

every single year and win every single game like it's impossible. And now thinking after football when you need to just relax and get away from the season, what do you do on the day-to-day to kind of switch your brain off? Because it's too hard to just be on all the time. What do you do? Everyone's always doing something, to be fair, aren't you?

Busy little bee. Yeah, I think I'm going to pick up the golf in the summer, for sure. Get back on the golf course, obviously. I've no got a European championship still. Tried words. Unfortunately. So I think the silver lining is that I get a summer holiday and I can properly enjoy it.

I'm going to hopefully maybe go to Spain for a period of time and maybe play some golf. Did you watch the golf? Did you watch Rory? Of course, I watched the Masters. That was one of the best moments in sport. Do you know what I'm talking about? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

My dad likes a bit of golf. Yeah? Yeah, you got the green jacket, didn't he? Yeah. Yeah, I know. Do you play a bit of golf? I did when I was younger. My dad actually wanted me to be a golf player.

Oh, did he? Yeah, I used to have lessons when I was younger. Oh, my husband's done that. He's just bought my toddler because she was watching the golf, and then it got to the point. When it finished, she was like, I want to watch the golf. Because she just likes them here. in the balls. So he's bought her a little toddler thing.

That's cute. Yeah. Were you good at golf? I was better probably when I was younger than I am now. I don't play anymore. I'm not played in years. We need to get it. Even to the range. I do like a little driving range. Since we're friends now. Yeah. Well, we've been forced to be friends on the podcast. You guys are busy. I'm sorry I've taken up so much for your time. I absolutely love having you both on. Thank you so much. And welcome to We are Chelsea, Kira. Thank you. Thanks for having me.

She's Chelsea now. You're Chelsea now. Well, you're Miss Chelsea, aren't you? No. Yeah. You're. Is there a nickname for her? She calls me Big Dog.

Big Dog. She's just literally, first day I walked in the door. Big Dog, I was like, what I'm at? Thank you, Big Dog. Thank you, Sonny. Pleasure. Thanks for having me. Thank you for listening to We Are Chelsea,

the official podcast of Chelsea Women, brought to you in association with Skoda. who are the official car partner for Chelsea women and they are proud supporters of women's sport. Remember to subscribe, give us a review and send in your questions to we are Chelsea at chelseafc.com. We'll see you next time.