Callum Hudson-Odoi is ready for his breakout year under Thomas Tuchel

When Thomas Tuchel announced his first Chelsea lineup, going for experience over youth, one selection stuck out.

The German opted to play 20-year-old winger Callum Hudson-Odoi as a right wing-back, and after one hell of an impressive showing against Wolves, Tuchel stuck to his guns and kept Hudson-Odoi in that role for Sunday's 2-0 win over Burnley.

Hudson-Odoi has given fans reason to get excited | Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images

It speaks volumes to Hudson-Odoi's ability that Tuchel has shown such a commitment to him already in his Chelsea career. No academy player has played more than him thus far, and it's clear that the youngster is relishing the chance to play under a manager who has nothing but faith in him.

Hudson-Odoi was absolutely everywhere against Burnley, bombing up and down the right wing and wreaking havoc with his desire to run at defenders and willingness to get in the box.

It was such a good performance that it had Burnley's Robbie Brady pulling his own hair out, screaming to Sean Dyche (via Liam Twomey): “I know where he f**king is, I just can’t stop him. What do you want me to do?”

The impact Tuchel has had on Hudson-Odoi is already clear to see, and it should have Chelsea fans salivating over what the future holds.

Tuchel has taken a liking to Hudson-Odoi | Julian Finney/Getty Images

Throughout Tuchel's managerial career, you can look back and find a handful of young players who have directly benefited from his tutelage.

At Mainz, there was Andre Schurrle who, at 19 years old, bagged 15 goals in the 2010/11 Bundesliga season to earn himself a move to Bayer Leverkusen, where his numbers dropped off without Tuchel's influence.

Christian Pulisic was the man to benefit at Borussia Dortmund. The young American was handed his debut by Tuchel and was on his way to becoming a superstar when Tuchel moved to PSG, where he met a young man by the name of Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe had 13 goals and seven assists in his first season in Paris, but after Tuchel arrived, he shot up to 33 and nine in just one extra game. He obviously can't take all the credit for Mbappe's rise to prominence, but the results of the pair's work together speak for themselves.

At each of his former clubs, Tuchel has arrived and set his sights on a young wonderkid, and he has worked tirelessly to turn them into superstars. Chelsea have clearly long admired his work, having signed both Schurrle and Pulisic, but they won't have to pay any extra for this next one.

Hudson-Odoi looks set for a breakout season under Tuchel, who takes the development of his players personally. He pulls no punches and knows how to drag the best performances out of young players, and among all the academy gems Chelsea have to offer, it's Hudson-Odoi who has made it to the top of the pecking order.

Hudson-Odoi could be Chelsea's next star | John Berry/Getty Images

The England international looks to have recovered all the confidence in his physical strength after his horrific ACL injury, and Tuchel has clearly already helped him rediscover the faith in his talent with the ball.

The signs of the pair's budding relationship have been enthralling so far, and we're only two games in. For both Hudson-Odoi and Chelsea, the future looks incredibly bright.


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Source : 90min