Trevoh Chalobah opens up on the miserly Chelsea defence and the influential persons in his life
Speaking in the pre-match press conference ahead of the Champions League clash against Juventus (h/t Chelsea official website), Trevoh Chalobah has opened up on the most influential people of his playing career while giving an insight on the defensive solidity of Chelsea.
The 22-year-old has played 11 matches and has broken into the first-team lineup this season. Having made the Champions League debut this term, he has grown into a regular under Thomas Tuchel.
Chalobah revealed that Thiago Silva was one of his idols when he grew up and how helpful it is to play alongside him. He also thanked Antonio Rudiger for the impact he had and how the help afforded for Chalobah to reach this stage. Lastly, he thanked his brother Nathaniel who was the reason that he became a footballer.
“Thiago Silva was one of my idols growing up as a kid, and with how successful he’s been. Antonio [Rudiger] has been a very big mentor for me since I first came here. If it wasn’t for my brother, I wouldn’t have started playing football.”
The Englishman also conveyed the reasons for the Blues’ defensive success under Tuchel, which has turned them into title contenders. He said that it is the training, the effort and mentality that they put into these sessions and the idea for his coach which helped them to be solid defensively.
“It starts in training. It’s very competitive, even when we do small-sided training games. Nobody wants to lose, and nobody wants to concede a goal. The mentality we have within ourselves and what the manager demands from us is shown in the games.”
Playing alongside the likes of Silva and Rudiger is a blessing for any youngster coming through the ranks. The onus is on Chalobah to seize the initiative and learn as much as he can from the legends.
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The London based club is in UEFA Champions League action later today as they look to gain ground and finish as the group leaders. Chalobah and his teammates will need to ensure the defence is reminiscent of last season, when they won the competition.