“Country roads, take me home, to the place, I belong.” We bet there’s hardly anyone who hasn’t heard this song. A classic that has been around for 54 years—thanks to Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, and John Denver—this masterpiece of the American music scene has made waves across the globe. So, it’s no surprise to see such an iconic song being vibed to by a revered soccer team like Chelsea. Quite nostalgic for American-based stars like Naomi Girma, right? Well, true—but it all took an unexpected side-splitting turn!

Well, in her defense, it was all initiated by her own teammates. For context, it all began after the Blues clinched the FA Women’s Cup on Sunday, defeating WSL rivals Manchester United 3-0 in front of 70,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. Interestingly, the celebrations extended beyond just lifting the silverware in front of their supporters, as the post-trophy shenanigans saw Chelsea stars having their private extravaganza inside the locker room.

A viral clip showed all the players dancing to “Country Roads” around the trophy in their traditional celebration. Even Girma was visibly involved in the merrymaking. That’s when ardent Chelsea fan and journalist Ishan Shah asked the USWNT defender how she felt about the celebrations. Hearing the question, Naomi burst into laughter as she stood alongside teammate Lucy Bronze—both unable to contain their hilarious reactions.

Naomi Girma said, “Someone actually asked me if I’ve heard that song and I was like, ‘You know that’s a remix, right?’” Imagine asking an American whether they’ve heard a classic, iconic American hit! Hilarious—no, wait—ironic too. Girma couldn’t stop laughing alongside Bronze after the revelation, sending others into hysterics as well.

But finally managing to regain her composure, Girma went on to explain how the team had filled her in on all the traditions that exist within the Chelsea camp. “I love it, it’s so fun. I’ve had to learn some of them and been helped by a lot of my teammates but yeah, I love it,” she said, noting how the entire team hahad caught her up to speed to understand the traditions going around the club.

Further expressing her happiness about being a part of the club’s happy rituals, the 24-year-old added, “I love the energy and it’s always fun to celebrate a win.” Boy are things finally going Girma’s way, not to mention that just weeks ago, she was in the negative limelight for not being able to live to her $1 million price tag.

Her debut match saw her leave the pitch within 59 minutes. As Naomi made a return against Barcelona in the UWCL semifinal leg 1 as a substitute, it went in vain, enduring a 2-8 defeat on aggregate. However, the latter games saw the former San Diego Wave star constantly play for Sonia Bompastor, becoming a part of the WSL title celebrations days ago, before lifting her second trophy at Wembley. No wonder Naomi Girma can’t express the feeling of achieving such success.

Naomi Girma feels ‘amazing’ to be a part of Chelsea’s ‘winning culture’

“It’s amazing. Just playing here was great and to finish it off with a trophy is the best thing you can ask for,” further remarked the former NWSL star on winning both WSL and FA inside six months with Chelsea. Expressing her gratitude for lifting trophies with ardent fans to maintain the “Winning culture” that they have managed to build, Naomi Girma extended a heartfelt thanks to the fans for their unwavering support.

Aside from praising the atmosphere, Girma also reflected on her time at the club so far. “I think for me it was just about finding my feet, trying to get fit, trying to get healthy and in with the group and I think this last six months is a reflection of the whole season and how hard the team has worked to put themselves in this position. So I was grateful to come in and be a part of it,” added the American defender, as compiled by ESPN.

The 2024 Paris Olympian highlighted her fellow teammate’s support, mentioning that even though she wasn’t out injured, everyone made her feel welcome. In a nutshell, Naomi Girma has successfully made new friends, gotten to know her club better, and more importantly, understood the key motto around the locker room: “Everyone wants to win, everyone wants to play well.”