Callum Hudson-Odoi has opened up about life at Chelsea following his failed transfer to Bayern Munich in the January transfer window, as well as why he still lives with his parents.
The Blues were offered as much as £40m for the 18-year-old, with Hudson-Odoi himself even handing in a transfer request before the window closed. However his request was refused, and the youngster has now been further integrated into the Chelsea set-up, with three goals and three assists in his last six appearances.
And, unsurprisingly given this record, in an in-depth interview with the Independent the winger explained: “I’m never nervous. I’m always excited to see what the game holds for me. I’m always ready, no matter what the situation is.”
Despite his evident maturity on the pitch, he then revealed: “I’m still living with my parents. I’ll keep living with them until I think I’m old and mature enough to leave.”
When probed on what it feels like to be Chelsea's second youngest player in history, he admitted: “I’ve been there throughout my whole life. Putting on the shirt for the first time, being a homegrown player, at such a young age, making my debut was an amazing feeling.
“Just seeing my shirt in the dressing room, it made me feel like a part of the club. It was a dream come true. [Once I was on the pitch] I just wanted to get on the ball as much as possible and show what I’m capable of. I think now I’ve done that, I’m just delighted and pleased for myself.”
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And, despite the furore surrounding the Bayern saga, when talk turned to his debut goal against Vidi in the Europa League, Hudson-Odoi was equally as excited, proclaiming: “I just couldn’t believe it to be fair. As soon as I saw the crowd screaming and jumping I didn’t think it was a goal.
"I thought that I’d done something wrong and then when everyone started coming round me I realised… I’d actually done it… I’d actually scored my first goal for my club. It was a proud moment for me and my family."
The step up from academy to first team can be gruelling for some, but the England U19 international took it in his stride, citing: “Everyone in the dressing room was very humble and genuine [when I came in]. There was nobody who was bigger than anybody else, no egos. They brought me into the system and made me feel welcome and to not be scared or nervous, just myself."
When asked on who his mentors are in the squad, he replied: “I look up to everyone, but I especially look forward to training with [Eden] Hazard, Willian and Pedro especially because that’s where I play. I just keep working hard to try to emulate what they do and, hopefully, I can be where there are one day.”
And that's not far off, according to his Brazilian idol, who has previously touted the winger as capable of “potentially becoming one of the best players in the world.”
It is still unknown whether the winger will remain at Chelsea beyond this summer, with the Bavarians still 'in love with him, but one thing's for sure - the world is at his feet.
Source : 90min