Chelsea have named their first team squad for the 2017/2018 season, and Andreas Christensen who will take the vacant number 27 shirt, has been handed a spot on the list.
Christensen who spent three years at Chelsea’s youth teams, having moved to the club at age 16, was on loan for two more years at Borussia Monchengladbach.
At 21 years, Christensen seems to have gathered a lot of experience than most if his equals having been trusted by his Monchengladbach coach to start against the big teams in Germany’s top flight and the UEFA Champions League.
He believes returning to Chelsea is the right thing to do and he can learn while playing more under Antonio Conte.
I have come back to Chelsea a better player than the one that left two years ago. I played about 80 games in two seasons and I have a lot more experience. I have a bit more toughness, more mental than physical.
The physical side of things is something I still have to build on, but mentally it has given me a lot. I’m more confident, I feel ready for bigger things. I was up against a lot of top strikers, big teams. I remember when I played against Bayern for the first time, I was nervous beforehand because it is easy to look like a clown playing against these guys.
Borussia played one against one at the back and I was directly up against Lewandowski first and then Muller later on, but we won the game 3-1. Everything went well and this is the kind of thing that gives me more self-belief at the top level.
Andreas Christensen, Evening Standard
Christensen is one of Chelsea’s four natural center backs but knows he is the last Conte will rely on among elite options including David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Antonio Rudiger. Even Cesar Azpilicueta is considered first choice center half in a 3-4-3 formation.
Christensen is however is not concerned he can fight a good fight to face the big teams and handle the top strikers in England and abroad.
“There is (loan technical coach) Eddie Newton and (assistant) Paulo Ferreira doing a great job and they visited me quite a few times..” he said.
“They would also send me videos of my games, telling me where to improve. I always watched those videos, would take the advice on board and take it into the next game, even though sometimes I’d forget another thing! I got all the help I needed.”
