Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is Chelsea’s most expensive signing of the summer so far, but you haven’t heard much about him.
Perhaps it’s because he’s coming from the Championship rather than from a Champions League club. Perhaps it’s because he’s seen as new manager Enzo Maresca’s “teacher’s pet,” because of their success together last season at Leicester. Perhaps it’s the way some fans are frustrated by the way he seems to have been brought into replace Conor Gallagher. Or perhaps it’s simply because he’s not been able to feature in our two friendly game so far.
Whatever the reason, that could all change tonight if he’s fit enough to make his debut in our friendly against Club America. His interview with TalkSport reveals a player who is raring to go.
KDH has a lot to get off his chest
The £30m signing doesn’t like the teacher’s pet label – in fact he claims he “squabbles” more with the coach because they know each other better already. What’s certainly true is that he knows how Maresca wants to play, and hopes he can contribute right away because of that:
“That obviously was a bonus – the fact that I already knew a lot of the gaffers’ principles. So even though I wasn’t training, I could still talk to the lads about what we were working on.
“It’s nice that when I’ve come straight back in now that I already know what lads have been doing and the movement patterns and everything. It’s made it easier.”
Dewsbury-Hall had a breakout season last time out in terms of goals and assists, and that’s clearly something he wants to repeat:
“I spoke with the manager and we spoke about a lot of things in terms of movement, position and just my mentality for wanting to score on assists and just having the hunger and eagerness to get in the box.”
Let’s see if he can get off the mark tonight.
