New signing Renato Veiga has described Enzo Maresca as a very “direct” manager and that giving everything in training is very important to the Italian.
Veiga arrived at Chelsea earlier this month from Swiss side Basel in a surprise deal worth €14m and is currently with the squad on their pre-season tour of America.
The Portugal under-20 international didn’t feature in the first game against Wrexham, but he got his first taste of action as a second half substitute in the defeat to Celtic.
Veiga on “direct” Maresca
The Blues had been looking for a left sided defender in the market and settled on the versatile Veiga, who can play at centre back, left back and in midfield.
This versatility makes him a prime candidate to invert into midfield from the left back position, with inverting the full back a key part of Maresca’s system.
Although his first minutes of pre-season didn’t come in ideal circumstances with Chelsea already 4-0 down by the time Veiga was introduced, the 20-year-old appears to be settling well into life with the Blues.
After the Celtic game Veiga spoke on what life has been like under Maresca and described the 44-year-old as a very direct manager as he tries to get his ideas across.
“He’s a very direct manager in what he wants,” Veiga told Chelsea’s website.
“You have to enjoy and to learn the maximum you can in every training session, and to give everything in every training session.
“That’s very important for him as well, after you can replicate it on the pitch.”
Veiga will be hoping for another opportunity in Chelsea’s next friendly against Club America, and he will need to make the most of every chance he’s given as a decision is yet to be taken on whether he will be part of the first team squad for the upcoming season, or if he will be sent on loan to continue his development.
