Blues Corner: Andreas Christensen

Chelsea have placed immense faith in their thriving youth academy over the years and are now reaping the results of an exceptional sporting project. The Blues have made tremendous strides over the past decade and their youth products have been instrumental to their cause.

Owing to their excellent scouting system, Chelsea have managed to gain access to talent across Europe and have added young prodigies to their ranks. Andreas Christensen was one such defensive talent and was brought to the Premier League from Danish club Brondby at the age of 16.

In the latest episode of ‘Certified Chelsea Chats’ with popular sports anchor and Blues fan Anant Tyagi, Chelsea star Andreas Christensen has sent a special message to the club’s massive fanbase in India and has also described his experiences at the club.

Andreas Christensen has come a long way at Chelsea and has been a part of the club for nearly a decade. The Danish centre-back spent two important years on loan in the Bundesliga before making his return to the Premier League as a seasoned defensive campaigner. The Chelsea star has highlighted his loan spell’s importance in his career and has claimed that his time in the Bundesliga helped him sharpen his defensive skills.

Christensen started his career as a teenager at Brondby and has named Liverpool’s former defensive lynchpin Daniel Agger as his role model. Like Christensen, Agger’s footballing journey took him from Danish shores to the Premier League and saw him flourish as a formidable centre-back. Chelsea’s very own import from Denmark has shown tremendous improvement in recent years and may well rival his compatriot’s footballing legacy in England.

Andreas Christensen has had his fair share of highs and lows with Chelsea and the Premier League but seems to have turned a corner under former Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel. The German tactician has brought the best out of many of his young players and Christensen has flourished in Tuchel’s 3-4-3 formation.

While acknowledging the merits of a traditional four-man defensive line, Andreas Christensen has become accustomed to Tuchel’s novel tactics and has claimed that he now prefers his manager’s ideals. Chelsea’s defence has built a stellar reputation and an impressive tally of 16 clean sheets from 22 games has been a result of the combined efforts of Thomas Tuchel and his defensive charges.

With the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva by his side, Andreas Christensen has plenty to learn and can benefit from the experience of the European veterans in his squad. With Thomas Tuchel at the helm, Andreas Christensen has improved by leaps and bounds and could become one of Chelsea’s most important players in the years to come.