How pleased are you with the run of games you’ve had? Are you feeling as strong as you have done playing in a Chelsea shirt?
“I’m very happy with the time on the pitch. I am feeling the strongest, fittest and quickest I have been, which is great. I missed a bit of pre-season with the first team, but I have worked hard, and I feel good this season. I have no complaints.”
What individual chats have you had with Graham Potter since he took charge?
“When he first came in, we had a few chats on where he sees me playing and what he thinks I can achieve as a footballer. It’s good to have that chat when he comes in: you know where you see yourself, and it gives you a good platform to work and perform.
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"It feels very fresh since he came in, and I think he has had these chats with every player, and every player has benefitted from those chats. It gives you an idea of where you are. So, very good."
Do you finally feel you have established yourself as a first-team midfielder?
"I feel like I am at a moment in my career and at Chelsea where I am impacting games. I feel a big part of the squad and the team, which is great for me because it hasn't always been like that for me at Chelsea for various reasons. To have the feeling is what I have been wanting to feel since I was 17 or 18. To have that now is great, but I always want to kick on and keep hold of it."
You were spotted watching Andy Murray in the summer at Surbiton. Do you maybe feel kindred spirits with him, given you both have all the talent in the world but maybe haven't quite unlocked all of it?
"I went to see him train and play at Surbiton. I am a big fan of tennis, so it was good to see him play. We had a chat while the Laver Cup was on, and it was good to understand how he sees himself and his career and the injuries that hindered him through it. He had a big one with his hip that he still struggles with a bit.
"It was a good chat to compare our careers, and injuries have been a big part. I feel good now, physically strong and fit. Being injury free in the past couple of years has been a big part of that – I've never had that before in my career. It's a big positive for me, and it's why I'm on form right now."
Enjoying playing regularly as a central midfielder again in this Chelsea side alongside the likes of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic?
"It is a long while [since playing in central midfield regularly], like you said, since 2019. A lot has gone on between then and now. It is good playing with Jorginho and Mateo frequently and finding a balance with them, connecting with them, and getting a better understanding of how they play. We work off each other, and it's good playing with them this season.
"I feel good. It is the most I have played for Chelsea consistently, I think, which is another positive. When I am looking at my career, I am trying to pick up as many positives as I can because it has been tough for me. So I look to kick on and play as much as possible."
Have you done anything differently to stop the injuries, and what's it like changing formations under Graham Potter?
"I haven't done anything different. Over my career, I have had injuries, but I have always tried to find out what my body needs and what I feel good with. I have built up a library of things I need to do to feel good. That has taken time, but I feel I know my body, what it needs and what it doesn't need. That's keeping me injury free and on the pitch. It's taken years, but I feel like I am in a good place right now.
"Individually, it does not affect me [changing formation]. I am quite a versatile player, so if I need to tweak a position, I am comfortable with it. As a team, we are comfortable with it. We have some really good players who are used to it. We have to be able to adapt and change to a game, and if the manager asks us to do it, we do it to the best of our ability."
You played at the 2018 World Cup and played well. How much would it mean to go to Qatar, given everything you've been through over the past four years?
"It would be amazing. It would mean a lot. As a player, after going into the 2018 World Cup, you see your trajectory to go upward and to be at the next World Cup if everything goes well. A lot has happened in between that time, and I am just happy and grateful that I am fit and healthy and playing football now consistently.
"If I go to the World Cup, it would mean the world, but that is not at the forefront of my mind at the moment. We have some big games coming up that need our full focus. It would be selfish for me to think about my personal aspirations rather than the club at the moment."
Have the experiences of the last four years made you a tougher person?
"The toughest side to it all has been the mental side to it. Even though I have had to put a lot of energy and work into the gym, physically, to get back to how I am feeling, the mental side of it — staying focused and diligent — and having the belief to get back to where I was, was the hardest thing. There are still lots of ups and downs. When you have belief in yourself, that is the only way to get there. I have always felt I could. I have always stayed diligent and tried to keep positive. That's the main thing."
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