Former Chelsea and current Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand has opened up why he left the Blues for the Saints on loan in 2014, and permanently a year later.
The 27-year-old never really got to prove himself in the Chelsea team despite joining the club already when he was aged 15. He won the Champions League with the Blues in 2012 as he played a left midfielder’s role for Roberto Di Matteo’s side in the tournament final, which was his first appearance in the whole campaign.
Regardless of being dubbed as the ‘new Ashley Cole’, Chelsea realized he wasn’t too young and promising anymore, and allowed him to join Southampton permanently after a successful loan in the 2014/15 season.
Bertrand says leaving the club wasn’t easy, but that he couldn’t wait to get a permanent starting role in the new team once he joined the Saints.
“It was hard leaving Chelsea because I was there from 15, and I’d done a lot of things at the club, but at the same time it wasn’t that hard.
I wanted to show people who I am. I wanted consistent opportunity. I couldn’t wait to get started.”
He also praised Chelsea legends Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole, and is still implementing the things he learned from the two ex-Blues players to this day, week in week out.
“I like to do finishing after training. I even had the argument when sometimes the coach will come and say, “No finishing today, rest your legs.” But equally I’ve come from a place where I saw Lampard do it every single day.
It is no coincidence that he goes on to score 20 plus goals for five seasons in a row.
When everything’s finished he’d just walk over, bring a ‘keeper, a slightly younger one and go with the coach, and work on anything. I did join, I couldn’t help but not. I wanted to improve even thought it’s not my role.
Fans will be fans, you know, on his (Ashley Cole’s) back and even on the outside the toughest of times, but his attitude to training, the way he would come out and train and play, was amazing.”
– Ryan Bertrand, The Times
