Noni Madueke has revealed that he looked up to Cristiano Ronaldo when he was younger and takes inspiration from the Portuguese superstar’s work ethic.
Madueke arrived from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 along with a host of other players including Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudyrk.
Having initially struggled in his first six months, followed by a slow start to last season Madueke started to find his find his feet over the second half of the campaign and finished the season strongly.
Madueke takes inspiration from Ronaldo
The 22-year-old made 34 appearances in all competitions last season scoring eight goals, but popped up with some crucial goals and key contributions during the run in as Chelsea secured a top six finish.
Madueke came on leaps and bounds from the start of the season and really started to show his quality and what he’s capable of by the end of it.
The Blues are spoilt for choice in the wides areas with the likes of Mykhailo Mudyrk and Raheem Sterling, whilst Christopher Nkunku and Cole Palmer can also play there.
In an interview on Chelsea’s YouTube channel Madueke revealed that he takes inspiration from Ronaldo’s work ethic and desire to be the best.
“When I was younger, I looked up to Ronaldo,” he said.
“When he first came to the Premier League, the talent was there to see but when he realised that he had to outwork everyone else to be the best, he became the best, so I take inspiration from that as well.”
Next season is huge for Madueke and he could well be playing for his Chelsea career given the arrival of South American talents Kendry Paez and Estevao Willian in 2025, whilst the club are pushing hard to sign Crystal Palace star Michael Olise this summer.
The winger certainly has the talent to make an impact at Chelsea and be an important player for Enzo Maresca, but he must make the most of every opportunity he is given starting with the pre-season tour of America.
