- Made 30 appearances last term
- But fell down the pecking order
- Almost moved on loan in the summer
WHAT HAPPENED? The expectation placed on the shoulders of young players at the biggest clubs should not be underestimated. Despite impressing in his breakthrough campaign for Chelsea, Chalobah said that it came at a cost as he struggled mentally, at times, to combat the pressure.
WHAT HE SAID: Speaking to The Residency, he said: "We’re normal human beings. They [supporters] think we’re superhumans, that we don’t get affected by what people say, by what people do. I’m the same as you guys. I remember playing for Chelsea last season. Towards the start of the season I was suffering with anxiety.
"Obviously playing for a big club, 40,000 every week, well I was used to it. But it’s different when you’re playing for your boyhood club at a big Champions League-winning team the year before that. I don’t get it now. Now I’ve dealt with it. This was the start of last season, the first weeks or first month or so was tough. But then I managed to pull through it. It was just talking to my family really, it was talking to people. I have a very good support system."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Chalobah isn't the first, and certainly won't be the last, player to mention the pressure that comes with playing for one of the world's most recognisable clubs.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHALOBAH? He has found it hard to displace the likes of Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana so far this season. Although, injuries to those players have handed him a few starting opportunities and he has even been mentioned as an outsider to make England's World Cup squad.