What's the story?
Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen has opened up about his situation at the club and claimed that he will keep on putting in his best and hope that he gets more opportunities.
In case you didn't know...
Christensen joined Chelsea in 2012 on a free transfer after spending eight impressive years at Brondby IF, the football club based in Denmark. The defender made his professional debut for the Blues in October 2014 which was his only appearance in the season.
The Dane joined Borussia Mönchengladbach on a two-year loan deal where he was a regular starter. After two successful seasons in Germany's Bundeslig, Christensen returned to Chelsea and made 27 appearances in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old has made only two and four appearances in Premier League and Carabao respectively since Maurizio Sarri took over the managerial duties at Chelsea last summer. However, the defender has played every minute in the Europa League and FA Cup (except for fifth-round clash against Manchester United)
Sarri had earlier confirmed that the Blues had no plans to sell the Dane in January.
The heart of the matter
The 22-year-old defender said: "There was a lot of talk, but it was made clear to me that the club still saw me as someone who will play. Of course, it is really nice to hear, and I just have to keep performing. I think I’ve done well the last few times I’ve got the chance, and I just have to hope that I am selected more often."
The Danish defender also explained how the club made him stay at Stamford Bridge and added: "Of course there were a lot of considerations, but as they made it clear to me that they wanted me to stay, it was really not that hard for me to accept it. I’ve been to the club for many years, and I still love being there."
"It is hard. Right now there are two clear first choice defenders, and then there is me who comes right after. I just have to show I am ready and grab the chance when I get it," he added.
What's next?
Chelsea's performances under Maurizio Sarri have been underwhelming and they are currently sixth in the Premier League. Christensen can be a solution to the defensive problems of the Blues. It is to be seen if Sarri starts the Danish star ahead of Antonio Rudiger or David Luiz in the future.