Ben Chilwell has revealed Frank Lampard has told him the could become the best in the world at Chelsea – and that he and Hakim Ziyech are dreaming of winning it all.
The Blues defender made his debut in the 6-0 win over Barnsley in the Carabao Cup after coming back from a heel injury that he sustained ahead of his £50 million ($65m) move from Leicester City.
Having begun training in the last week, the defender got a 24-minute run out at his new home in west London and bagged an assist for Olivier Giroud’s goal in the process.
Chilwell revealed the extent of his conversations with Lampard before choosing to make the switch to Stamford Bridge.
« It is a fresh challenge. I am out of my comfort zone which is something I think that will improve me, » the 23-year-old said in the club’s matchday programme. « It’s a great team, a great club and I am looking forward to working hard here.
« I remember chatting to the gaffer at Leicester and he was really good about the whole situation. He said this would be good for my career and that if I come here and work hard, I can push on because the type of football here suits me.
« He said I could go onto be the best or one of the best in the world in my position. That’s what I want to do now I am here. I want to win stuff and improve myself.
« Personally, I want to become one of the best in the world in my position, and it feels like, with this team, that we can win a lot over the next few years as well. When I come to the end of my career, I want to have won everything that there is to win, and I think that at this club we can do that. »
Chilwell said he has built up a friendship with fellow signing Ziyech and that the pair have big ambitions after making their moves.
« I was chatting to Hakim about it yesterday and we were both saying, with the squad we have now, over the next few years we should be getting to cup finals and challenging for the league every year, » he said. « I think that’s why we have both come here because we are both confident that will be the case. »
The pair are part of a big summer of spending at around £220m ($280m) which will see six players added to the senior squad, with Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy set to join the likes of Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Thiago Silva.
Chilwell ranks as the second-highest fee paid, and part of the benefit of moving to Chelsea is the ability to sound out former England and Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole.
Cole, who is an academy coach at the club, met with Chilwell after his move to offer his advice.
“I looked at him: English, same position, arguably the best left-back in Premier League history,” he continued. “That’s the kind of player that I personally want to look up to.
“For years now, I’ve watched him, not specifically to learn from him, but I just watched him play a lot when I was younger and now that I’m at Chelsea as well, I’m keen to emulate him.
“He spoke to me about where he’s lived, his family, how he found it playing for Chelsea, just general chit chat. It’s really helpful to get the benefit of someone like that’s experience when you’ve just moved to a new club.”
“When he played he had the same agent that I have, so I asked if he could get us in contact, then Ash just rung me and said I could go round his for the afternoon so we could have a chat.
“To be fair, we didn’t even talk that much about football, it was just a case of getting to know him, he wanted to know about how I was settling in and we had a really good chat. »
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SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
