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'There was no reason for me to leave' - Loftus-Cheek reveals his devotion to Chelsea

Ruben Loftus-Cheek says he always wanted to stay at Chelsea despite struggling to lock down a starting spot in the first team over the past couple of seasons.

Injuries have contributed to Loftus Cheek struggles at Stamford Bridge, with the England international only recently returning from a long-term Achilles injury.

The 24-year-old believes he is ready to come of age with the Blues and says that the arrival of Frank Lampard wasn't the driver behind his desire to remain in London.

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"I don’t see myself as a young player any more,” Loftus-Cheek told the Independent. "Frank came in [last July], but I was always thinking of signing for Chelsea before he came in.

"Frank coming in didn’t change my opinion to stay even more. I was happy at Chelsea and my plan was to stay here.”

Loftus-Cheek suffered the Achilles injury in May 2019 and was ready to resume playing right when the coronavirus break hit football.

Since football has returned, the midfielder has featured in seven matches for the Blues with the team fighting to finish in the Premier League's top four and in the FA Cup semi finals.

The midfielder says he was ready to sign a new contract with the Blues prior to his injury - which was penned in in July 2019 - and he is committed to the club that he joined as a seven-year-old in 2004.

"I was injured at the time [of signing my new contract] - I came off the back of a good season with Chelsea when Sarri was here," Loftus-Cheek said

"It was my highest-scoring season. I played a lot more games and I felt like a Chelsea player who had contributed to winning in that season.

"So to get injured was a blow and to be honest I didn’t think I would be injured for so long. I didn’t think it would take a year for me to come back.

"So that was in my thoughts when I was signing my contract. But it obviously didn’t happen like that. I’m devoted to Chelsea.

"I’ve been here since I was seven years old. After the season with Sarri, there was no reason for me to leave Chelsea.”

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