DEPARTING Chelsea captain Katie Chapman said the club’s decision yesterday to drop “ladies” from their name was the “right thing to do.”

The team will now be known as Chelsea Football Club Women and, as part of the move, Chelsea will no longer refer to the men’s team as the “first team,” the Blues said.

Chapman, who captained Chelsea to the double before retiring at the end of the season, welcomed the change.

“This is the modern way to do it, to call us women, and interact us with the whole football club and not just be known as two separate teams.”

Chapman added: “I guess ‘lady’ is a little more undermining. [To be described] as a woman it sounds more assertive, more mature, and it’s more the modern language. [Lady] comes across quite elegant, quite lady-like, and ‘woman’ is a stronger word to use.”

Manager Emma Hayes said: “This name change demonstrates the club’s desire to put women’s football at the front and centre of everything we do.

“Chelsea’s continued commitment to the women’s game is unwavering and this decision is something I fully support.”

Chelsea won the Women’s FA Cup and Women’s Super League this season, while also reaching the Champions League semi-finals.

The club said: “The new name reflects Chelsea’s position as a leading club within the sport. It is representative of a modern view on language and equality, and is in keeping with the way our governing bodies, supporters, squad and management regard the women’s game.

“The change will see us move away from consistently referring to our men’s team as the ‘first’ team, acknowledging the ever-growing status of women’s football, and Chelsea within it.”

Chelsea also won the double in 2015 and in 2017 won the Spring Series.

The Blues’ move to Kingsmeadow saw them play in front of the WSL’s highest average attendance.

Chelsea chair Bruce Buck said: “We believe this is an important step for the evolution of our women’s team. We are incredibly proud of their achievements to date and are fully committed to being a force for good in women and girls’ sport.”

The club added: “At Chelsea, we see our female players as role models for the next generation, just as we do our men’s team, and hope their achievements can help inspire and empower even more women and girls to take up the game we all love.”