Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi is currently enjoying his time out on loan with Bayer Leverkusen this season as he looks to give his career a re-start.
Things had been a little inconsistent for him at Chelsea over the years and he knew that the time was right to search for more regular football.
There was a pinnacle moment that really got him thinking at the start of this season when Thomas Tuchel left him out of the squad to face Everton. The England winger was left wondering what he had done and describes it as a very frustrating time.
All focus is now on the Bundesliga for Hudson-Odoi now though and things are looking up. Back at Chelsea as well when he does return, he will have the chance to impress a new manager all over again with Graham Potter now at the helm.
As cited by The Daily Mail, Hudson-Odoi said:
“It was one of those difficult moments when you look at yourself and say, ‘What am I doing wrong? Have I done anything wrong to not even be in the squad?’ he says. ‘I would never say anything bad about Thomas, he was a good guy, a good manager. [But] the first game of the season, it was frustrating. Any footballer that isn’t in the squad would understand how frustrating it is.
“Regular football gives you consistency and the more games you play, the more consistent you become, the more form starts to kick in.
“You feel fresher, you feel better, you feel like… not that you’re getting treated fairly but that you’ve got the trust from the manager to push you and kick you on. You don’t want to be on the bench thinking, ‘Why am I not playing?’ And then it becomes weeks and weeks and the legs are rusty when you do play. The most important thing is consistent football. That’s what I’m getting here and it’s making me feel better.
“Right now, playing games, momentum is kicking on and you feel refreshed: new country, brand-new experience. It’s definitely refreshing to know I get an opportunity to play games week in, week out, enjoying it and smiling!”
I’m so glad Simon Phillips chose to focus attention on CHO and this question of “what have I done?”
How many young players are fully formed at age 18-23? Ronaldo and Messi are the rare exceptions —phenoms so gifted that they stood out on a field of men even in their teens. Far, far more often a youngster with obvious talent (De Bruyne and Salah pop to mind) just needs the opportunity to play week in and week out and to make mistakes in order to fully flower. Maybe winning NOW is so imperative at a club the size of Chelsea that the likes of De Bruyne, Salah, and CHO will never be able to get the minutes to fully mature whilst wearing blue, but (unless Chelsea wants to fork out +70-80 million EVERY time it needs a new player) this makes it all the more imperative to have a system where top young talent can get the seasoning it needs (somewhere of higher caliber than Vitesse) without the club giving up on them (or imprudently signing away the right to buy them as part of the loan agreement). Perhaps Boehly & CO’s vision of a multi-club “farm system” will come to fruition and help address this—perhaps not. But, in the meantime, best of luck to CHO!